Covert Operations
by brightsparkle
Summary: Lucy Heartfilia is a top Fairy Tail spy. Working her way to becoming the number one spy in the organization, she is forced to partner with a person from her past. When a new threat emerges that not only threatens Lucy but the world as well, will Lucy and Natsu be able to step up to the challenge?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

"Keep going, the vent should be after the next left"

The voice came through a headset, which was currently in Lucy Heartfilia's ear. Crawling forward, Lucy whispered back.

"Roger"

Lucy was currently in a dark, and hot air vent. The voice of her best friend, and teammate, Levy McGarden sounding in her ear, guiding her to the correct grate. Lucy, clad in a black skintight cat suit, grimaced at all the dust and grime she was getting herself covered in. Continuing onward, Lucy crawled around the next corner, and found herself in front of a grate. Looking through the slits, she caught the sight of a group of men. From a quick assessment, Lucy saw six on the left, and four on the right. The group on the left carried a briefcase, and she saw that they carried guns openly on the side.

"Found them" Lucy whispered. "There's 10 total, looks like they are in the middle of the deal right now".

"Okay, wait for backup, I'm sending in Gajeel, wait for my signal" Lucy heard through her comm headset. Glancing down, she saw money being exchanged between the two groups.

"It's too late, the deal is almost done, I'm going in" the blonde whispered. She pulled a pen out from her pocket, and set it against the hinge of the grate.

"No! Lucy hold on! Gajeel is on his way, don't you dare!" She heard Levy yell. Smirking, she pressed down the top of the pen, causing a small explosion.

"Too late" Lucy said, and kicked open the grate, and jumped out, landing on the ground below, hands touching the ground, and one leg extended. Raising her head, Lucy smirked when she saw the astonished looks on the men's faces.

"So, which one of you are Phantom Lord" Lucy purred, standing up. The men didn't answer, but instead yelled and ran towards her, pulling out their guns. Instantly, Lucy ducked and rolled forward, underneath the legs of the running men, and pulled a Bo staff from her back. From behind, she knocked the legs out from underneath the nearest man, and while he was falling, jumped off of his face to knock the guns out of the hands of another. She whirled around, using her staff to knock two other men in the gut, throwing them backwards onto the ground. She heard a shot from behind her, and she dove to the ground, rolled, and hopped back on her feet, running to a nearby pillar. She threw herself behind it, and pulled out her own gun.

"Lucy what the hell! I told you to wait!" She heard from her ear. Choosing not to respond, Lucy peeked her head out from behind the pillar, finding six men left, all approaching with their weapons drawn. The four men she had hit with her staff earlier, were all laying on the ground groaning. Pulling her head back, she cocked her gun, and threw herself out into the open, firing rapidly in the spots she had seen the six men. Before they could even get a shot off, Lucy had hit every single in right in the middle of their forehead. As she watched them all fall to the ground, she smiled, and put the gun back into the holster on her thigh.

"It's all good Lev, I took them all out, with Gajeel's new electrification bullets of course" Lucy said finally, walking over the unconscious men, and nudging them with her foot. "Better call in the other agents to get these guys cuffed and out of here" She said, turning to walk over to where the briefcase lay forgotten on the ground.

"Seriously, Lucy, you could have gotten seriously hurt, and you already got yelled at by Makarov once already!" Levy said, and Lucy could imagine her sitting in front of her multiple screens, fuming.

"Whatever, I was fine, and the flute is too" Lucy said, while she crouched, opening up the briefcase to find a flute, with a skull on the end, nestled safely inside of the case.

"Plus we have six members of Phantom Lord, I think this mission went pretty well if you ask me" Lucy went on, gathering up the suitcase.

"Whatever, just wait for reinforcements to help arrest the Phantom members, and the buyers" Levy sighed.

While waiting, Lucy dragged all the men over, and tied them up with a cord she had in her backpack, just in case they did wake up. _Another successful mission_, Lucy thought. She had be assigned to the case a few hours earlier, when an ancient artifact, called the Lullaby Flute, was stolen by thugs from Phantom Lord, an underground ring of criminals, who, for money, would "acquire" certain rare items. They also were involved in many drug deals, and basically caused a nuisance to Fiore, and the countries that surrounded. Fairy Tail, the spy agency Lucy worked for, was the primary spy agency in Fiore. Under the supervision of the king, they were set to spy on the various criminal groups that operated in Fiore, and to try to prevent total destruction.

A second later, Lucy heard a stampede of feet coming her way. Standing up, she saw a mob of men and women, all wearing SWAT gear run in. The leader walked forward.

"We've got this from here, you can head back to headquarters and debrief" The man said. Lucy nodded, and turned to leave.

By the time Lucy entered the big conference room, she knew she was going to get an earful. Sitting and waiting for her were Levy, who was silently fuming, Gajeel, Mirajane, who was the assistant to the Director of Fairy Tail, and lastly, Makarov. Makarov was a small, old man, who looked unassuming, but had a long and successful career as a spy in Fairy Tail. Mirajane, his assistant, sat sweetly next to him, her long silver hair pulled into a braid that was draped over her shoulder. Levy, with her blue hair tied back with a headband, shot Lucy a furious expression, before turning to see what Makarov had to say. Gajeel, on the other hand, didn't even look up from his phone, and just grunted when she sat down.

"Alright, now that everyone's here, let's get started", Makarov said, taking a stack of papers from Mirajane. Lucy bit her lip, preparing for what was coming.

"While the mission was a success, Lucy, this is the twelfth time this has happened!" Makarov sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"I had it handled" Lucy huffed, crossing her legs and leaning back. Makarov sighed, setting the papers down, and shared a look with Mirajane.

"What?" Lucy demanded. Makarov looks at Lucy, as if debating something.

"Mirajane and I have been talking, and we think the best course of action is to assign you to a partner for future missions" Makarov stated. Lucy leapt to her feet.

"No way, Makarov you know I work better alone!" She blurted, slamming her hands on the table. Makarov glared at her.

"Lucy, what you have been doing is dangerous, and I am not losing another one of my children, this decision is final" He said firmly. Lucy huffed, and plopped back into her seat saying, "Who's my partner then? You better give me somebody who knows their stuff". At this, Makarov's face burst into a grin.

"Oh no" The blonde moaned, and Makarov began to laugh.

"Oh yes, you are going to be partners with your old friend, Natsu Dragneel".

**Hey guys! My name is sonchia! This is my first story ever, so enjoy, and don't be scared to say hi!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Lucy was furious. Entering into her high-rise apartment, Lucy slammed the door shut, and practically threw her purse at the wall. Of all the people she could have been partnered with, it had to be _him_. The blonde huffed, kicking off her pumps, and greeted her lab, Plue, who had ran up, excited to see her home. Lucy grabbed his head and gave him a kiss and said hello, before heading to her bedroom to change into pajamas. As much as she enjoyed looking professional and spy-like in her suit jacket and pencil skirt, she loved lounging around in her pajamas even more. Throwing her clothes onto her bed, Lucy pulled on a white tank top and a pair of pink silk pajama bottoms. As she threw up her hair into a messy bun on the top of her head, Lucy left her room, with Plue in tow, to head to her kitchen. It was getting late, so she figured she should cook some food.

Her kitchen was all white, surrounded by huge glass windows on the walls, giving her a view of the city of Magnolia, where Fairy Tail was located, and where she lived. Walking to the fridge, Lucy reached out to open the door.

"So, whatcha makin'?"

Lucy screamed, and spun around, fists up and clenched in front of her face. However, she dropped them the minute she saw who was behind her, sitting at her counter.

It was Natsu.

Lucy froze. How many years had it been since she had seen him? She hadn't since they both graduated from Fairy Tail Academy, where they trained to be spies together. They had both been 18 at the time, but it had it had been 4 years. She had heard that he was doing well at Fairy Tail, and was a crucial part of many secret missions, but then again, so had she.

Lucy kept staring at the pink haired man in front of her. He was different from the boy she used to know. He was taller, for one, and had more muscle than before. The biggest difference was the big scar across his cheek, and another down his neck that disappeared under the big white scarf she had never seen him without. Her brown eyes met his.

"Hiya Luce" Natsu said, looking her up and down. "Long time no see".

Lucy snapped out of her daze. "What the hell are you doing here?" She said, the words coming out harsher than she planned. But Natsu wasn't fazed, he just shot her his wide grin, his pointed canines glinting in the light from the setting sun that filtered through the windows.

Leaning back in the chair, Natsu crossed his arms.

"We're partners now, figured I'd stop by" He said nonchalant, "Catch up".

Lucy mirrored his action, crossing her arms. "Nuh-uh, no way. Get out"

"Come on Luce, it will be like old times" Natsu whined, getting up out of the chair.

"Don't call me Luce. And i'm serious, get out of my apartment"

Natsu took a step closer, still grinning.

"Come on, we used to be inseparable, Lucy and Natsu, the unbeatable dynamic duo", he said, coming even closer. Lucy's eyes hardened.

"_Hey, Luce!" _

_Lucy turned, seeing Natsu run up beside her. "Hey, Natsu! You in Gildart's combat training class too?". _

"_Heck yeah!" Natsu grinned, cracking his knuckles. "I'm all fired up!". Lucy grinned, as Natsu put his arm around her shoulders. _

"_Alright class" A man yelled, walking out onto the mats the lined the floor of the enormous gym they were in. Surrounding Natsu and Lucy were the rest of the recruits, trying to make it though Fairy Tail Academy. Lucy did not know any of them, the only person she knew was right beside her, arm thrown around her shoulders. _

Her memories shifted.

"_UGH!" Lucy groaned, as she hit the green padded floor with a thump. Natsu stood above her. _

"_I just can't seem to get it right!" She groaned, as Natsu reached down and grabbed her hands, tugging her up, close to his body. _

"_It's your approach, Luce, you are too predictable" Natsu said, peering down at her face, which was inches away. "Move your arm like this" He said, his warm hands gently grasping her elbow and wrist, and moving it. "Try it that way". _

_Lucy nodded, her brown eyes still on his green ones. Except she didn't move, Natsu's hands didn't leave her arm, grasping gently. She moved her face closer to his, closing the space…_

"_Natsu! Lucy! Stop flirting and get back to work!" _

_At the sound of Gildart's voice, the pink haired man and the blonde flew apart, faces burning red. _

"Yeah, but that was a long time ago, Natsu, we haven't talked in 4 years" Lucy said, her memories weighing her down. By this time, Natsu was standing right in front of her, peering down at her. She didn't realize how much taller he had grown. She used to be just a little shorter than him, but now her eyes were level with his collar bones, visible from the collar of his t shirt. Tilting her head up, to look him in his eyes, still the same piercing green color that she remembered, Lucy bit her lip. His gaze was unwavering, like he was soaking in every aspect of her face.

Natsu reached out, and gently grasped her elbow, moving so that there was only a breath between the two of them. Lucy felt her heart start to pound.

"Luce, what happened. You just disappeared. One day we were fine, and the next you were gone. Where did you go for 4 years?" He said, breath wafting over her face. Lucy;s mouth partned in surprise, sucking a breath in.

"_Lucy, you and Natsu have been friends forever, it's so clear that he likes you, come on" _

_Lucy looked up to the scarlet haired woman, who sat on the floor, next to her twin sized bed. Across the room, in the other bed, sat her roommate, Levy. _

"_Please, Lu, _everyone_ knows. I mean, you guys share a bed most nights" Her roommate said, pushing her spiky blue hair out of her face, leaning back on her bed. At the mention of this, Lucy blushed. _

"_But we have always done that, it's nothing new, it doesn't mean anything" She protested, biting her lip. _

"_Lucy, trust us, just tell him. You have been in denial for too long, and to be honest, the rest of us are sick of watching you guys flirt and not act on your feelings" The scarlet haired woman said. _

"_Erza" Lucy started, but was cut off when Erza lept up, tacking Lucy over onto her back on the bed. Erza loomed over her, her legs on both sides of Lucy, her face inches from hers. _

"_You will. Or I will lock the two of you into a closet until you guys talk" Erza threatened, her eyes glinting. Lucy gulped, to terrified to say anything. "Got it?" Erza glared. "Yes!" Lucy squeaked, eyes wide with fear. _

"_Good, now go do it" Erza said, _

"_What!? Now?" Lucy gasped, hand flying to her chest, where her heart started to pound. Erza nodded, and rolled off of Lucy, pulling her up as well, and shoving her to the door, and out. _

"_Erza, I can't, Please" Lucy pleaded. At this, the scarlet haired woman gave Lucy her best death stare. Gulping, Lucy turned around and shakily and slowly headed to her best friend's room. His was on the floor below hers. _

"_Come on Lucy, he's your best friend, there's no need to be scared" Lucy whispered to herself, as she walked the route she knew my memory, to Natsu's room. She reached his door too quickly for her liking, but took a deep breath to steel herself before knocking on the door. Lucy didn't dare barge in, due to his roommate, Gray's habit of stripping. She would rather not see him completely naked at this moment. _

_The door whipped open, and in the doorway stood Natsu, his pink hair unruly, and in a pair of grey shorts and a white t-shirt. His face broke into a wide grin, that showed off his abnormally sharp canines. _

"_Luce!" He said, bouncing back to let her into his room. Lucy smiled, somehow he always made her feel at ease. _

"_Hey, Natsu, what's up?" She said, as Natsu shut the door and turned around to face her. _

"_Ah, not much, what's up? Why'd you come down?" He asked, moving closer, head leaning to the side in confusion. _

_Lucy was shaking. She had to say it, she would rather make a fool of herself in front of Natsu than face Erza. _

"_Natsu, I want to tell you something" She said, her voice apprehensive._

"_What is it?" Natsu said, his look of confusion turning into concern, as he moved closer, and lightly grabbed her elbows. _

_Lucy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 'Here goes nothing' She thought to herself, steeling herself to say what she was about to say. _

_Suddenly, the door swung open, and Lucy heard a voice say, "Hey, boyfriend!" _

_Lucy's eyes flung open, staring at the girl behind Natsu. _

_It was their classmate, Lisanna. _

_Lucy looked from Lisanna to Natsu, and back. Natsu quickly let go of her arms, and turned to face Lisanna, saying hi, in his normal cheery tone. _

_Lucy didn't know it was possible to feel a heart break, but in that moment, she felt her heart get crushed. She couldn't breathe, and she knew the minute she tried to, she would start to cry. _

"_I'm sorry, I gotta go" She said, pushing past Natsu, and a confused looking Lisanna, and out into the hallway. _

_"Lucy!" She heard Natsu yell, following her out into the hallway, but she was already gone, tears streaming down her face, and she ran away from the man she loved. _

**Hey guys! **

**Thank you so much for everyone who followed, favorited, and reviewed! I did not expect so many people to read this! Anyways, here's chapter 2, so enjoy! **

**I was thinking of updating every Monday and Friday, since I am officially done with school this week, so I will have more free time to finish my chapters!**

**-Sonchia **


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

That night, Lucy laid in her big cushy bed, with Plue cuddled to her side. Her mind replayed over the events that had happened earlier that night. Sighing, Lucy threw her arm over her eyes.

"_Luce, what happened. You just disappeared. One day we were fine, and the next you were gone. Where did you go for 4 years?_

_Lucy stared, she couldn't move, her heart was pounding. She opened her mouth to say something, but Natsu backed away, throwing his arms behind his head, laughing. Lucy huffed, crossing her arms in front of her. _

"_Calm down Luce, I just wanted to stop by and bring the information for our next case to review before tomorrow". Natsu had said, turning to where he had been sitting, and pulling out a file. He set it down on the counter, and proceeded to pull his jacket on. _

"_See ya tomorrow Luce" Natsu said nonchalantly, turning to walk to the door to her apartment. Before he opened the door, he paused, and turned his head back to look at Lucy. _

"_By the way, I like the pajamas" He said, a smirk on his face. Lucy's eyes widened, but before she could say anything, Natsu had slipped out into the hallway. _

Turning on her side, Lucy rearranged her pillow so it was more comfortable under her head. She seriously had to get it together. She was over Natsu. She was… wasn't she? Lucy shook her head, to clear the thoughts from her mind. Natsu was her partner now, so she had better just get used to it.

The next morning, Lucy found herself in the passenger's seat of a black Suburban. Driving, to her chagrin, was Natsu. Between them was an awkward silence Lucy had no clue how to break. Only the sounds of the road, and passing cars filled the silence in the car. From the minute Lucy had met Natsu that morning for briefing, there was no sign of the man she had seen in her apartment last night. He had been all straight-laced and serious.

Glancing over at Natsu, Lucy bit her lip. While Natus had been her best friend for most of her life, she had no clue who he was anymore. Last night, his normal flirty self was present, but there was no trace of that now. Lucy bit her lip, and looked back out the passenger's side window.

They were headed to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Magnolia. Makarov had gotten several tips of Phantom Lord activity there. Lucy and Natsu were assigned on a reconnaissance mission, to gather intel and watch what was going on in the warehouse. This was to be an intelligence gathering mission only, and Lucy and Natsu had been given orders to not make any sort of move against Phantom unless stated by Makarov. As much as Lucy detested these types of missions, she really had no choice. She guessed this was Makarov's revenge for her going against mission orders so many times.

Outside, Lucy saw the "Thank you for visiting Magnolia" sign, which meant they were leaving the city. From what the file had said, the warehouse was ten miles outside of Magnolia, hidden near the base of one of the mountains.

"10 miles out" Natsu said, hand over his ear, where his comms set was. Lucy heard his voice in her ear as well.

"Proceed as planned, everything looks clear" Levy's voice said into her ear. Lucy rolled her eyes. She knew Levy was secretly happy that Lucy was being forced to partner with Natsu, her best friend was always getting on her case about her going off on her own.

"Do you remember the plan?" Natsu finally said, glancing over at where Lucy was sitting. Lucy turned to look at him. "Of course I do, I have done these types of missions before, believe it or not" She said, letting a look of incredulity come over her face. Natsu glanced at her again, his face confused. "I know, in fact I know you are ranked number 2 in Fairy Tail's database" Natsu said, looking back to the road.

"Yeah?" Lucy questioned, raising her eyebrow at him. "And what are you? Last?" She retorted. At this the grin of the Natsu she remembered spread across his face.

"I'm number 1" He said.

Lucy's jaw dropped. "No way!" She gasped, sitting up straight. Natsu took one look at her and burst out laughing.

"Stop laughing! It isn't funny!" Lucy burst out, whacking Natsu's arm. "Come on, it's kinda funny" Natsu said. Lucy glared at her pink haired partner, and crossed her arms, sitting back in the seat. "Nope, not at all" She declared. Natsu opened his mouth to say something else, but Levy's voice in their ear interrupted him.

"You guys are one mile out, there should be some bushes on the right in 400 feet. Hide the car there and continue on foot to the warehouse" Levy instructed.

"Got it" Natsu said, steering the car into the ditch. Once he and Lucy had hid the car, they grabbed their gear and set off in the direction Levy instructed them to go.

They didn't dare drive any closer to the base, reports had stated that cameras were installed in the woods, and heat sensors were placed all around the compound. Due to that, Natsu and Lucy were to hike through the woods to the compound, wearing heat repelling suits, specifically designed by Gajeel, which would let them get close to the warehouse without being detected by the heat sensors. It was a humid day out, and the suit that Lucy was wearing did nothing to help. Throwing her hair up, Lucy looked to where Natsu was ahead of her. He was poking around the trees, making sure there were no cameras or traps. While Levy's directions took them around many of the cameras and traps, they could never be too safe. Lucy huffed, Natsu was taking control of the mission. Lucy wasn't weak, she had just taken down 10 grown men the day before!

Deep in thought, Lucy didn't notice a root on the ground until her foot had caught it, and she pitched forward towards the ground. In a split second, Natsu had turned around and caught her. Lucy gasped as his arms slid around her, pulling her upright. Leaving his arms around her, Natsu looked down.

"Better watch where you're going"

Lucy shoved his arms away. "Shut up, I just wasn't paying attention". Natsu let out a laugh, "Is that so?" Rolling her eyes, Lucy shoved past him and kept walking. "Come on, let's keep going". Behind her, Natsu shrugged, followed along.

Lucy picked her way through the trees and brush slowly, pushing the branches aside so she could slide underneath them. Her and Natsu had been walking for about an hour now, though according to what Levy said, they were getting close. The ground had started to get steeper, the closer they got, and Lucy had started to use the trees surrounding her to pull herself up. Natsu, ahead of her, reached back a hand, which she grudgingly took. He pulled her forward, next to him, and they both looked down at the building below.

"Levy, we have eyes" Lucy said quietly.

"Good, get a little closer, but do not initiate any contact, you guys are here for information gathering only" Levy commanded. Lucy bit her lip. "10/4" She said. Looking up to Natsu, Lucy gestured towards the compound below and said, "Shall we?". Natsu nodded, and together they started to descend the steep hill. They made their way close, to where some bushes growing, next to the building. Sitting down next to Natsu, Lucy pulled out a pair of binoculars, and a small gun. She pointed the gun through the window, and shot. The bullet went through and landed on the opposite wall. The gun was another of Gajeel's inventions, and it contained a microphone, so Lucy and Natsu would be able to hear and record what was being said in the warehouse.

Beside her, Natsu pulled out a camera from his backpack and started to take pictures of the warehouse, where all the cameras were located, as well as any ways that could be utilized to get into the building undetected. From what Lucy could see, the warehouse was empty at the moment, but the tip Makarov had gotten from an undercover operative stated that a deal was going to go down today. Lucy swung her binoculars towards the road that lead to the warehouse. In a cloud of dust, Lucy spotted two white vans and a black sportscar heading towards them.

"Natsu, look" Lucy whispered, pointing to the cars. "Incoming". Natsu glanced over and whispered back, "Stay low, they shouldn't be able to stop us from where they are". Lucy nodded in agreement and moved the lay on her stomach, her binoculars still able to get a clear view through the bushes. The vans pulled to a stop in front of the warehouse, and Lucy saw eight armed guards hop out of the vans. Two reached in and grabbed something, and from where she and Natsu were hiding, she could hear screams. Lucy tensed as the men dragged out a woman, with a sack over her head. She was kicking and trying to fight, but they had tied her arms together behind her back. Natsu sensed Lucy's tension, and laid a hand on her arm to calm her. Lucy grit her teeth, hands gripping her binoculars tightly, turning her fingers white. However, she heard Natsu gasp when a man stepped out of the sportscar.

"What is it?" Lucy whispered, turning her head to look at her partner.

"That's Jose Porla, he's the leader of Phantom Lord" Natsu whispered back. "I thought this was going to be a drug deal or something, but if he's here, something big is about to go down" He continued. He lifted his camera, and snapped a few pictures of Jose, and the rest of the people accompanying him. Lucy felt her stomach curl with unease. In her earpiece, she heard a door slam, and the men dragging the girl into the room. Lucy and Natsu moved to the side a couple yards, so they could look into the room.

Through her binoculars, Lucy could see that they had tied the woman up to a chair in the middle of the room, and Jose was standing in front of her. He nodded to the men who stood behind the chair, and one reached forward to pull the sack off of her head.

Lucy gasped, almost dropping her binoculars.

When the sack was lifted off, she saw a tumble of blue hair fall out.

They had Juvia.

She heard Natsu take a sharp intake of breath. "Damn it!" He spat.

"Natsu, we have to do something" Lucy pleaded, getting ready to launch herself up and over the bushes. But, before she had a chance to do anything, Natsu grabbed her arm.

"We were told not to make any moves without calling in first, I don't like this either, but orders are orders" He hissed, pulling Lucy back down. Lucy pulled her arm out of his grasp, but stayed where she was, as Natsu radioed in and filled Levy in on what was happening.

"Stay there, I am requesting backup, don't move and don't engage" Levy's voice ordered.

"Hurry" Lucy said, looking to where Jose was talking to Juvia.

"When he found out about Gajeel, I thought we had gotten rid of the mole, but when I found out his partner was also from Fairy Tail, I decided it was about time I sent Makarov a message" Lucy heard Jose drawl.

"What do you want?" She heard Juvia spit back at Jose.

At this, Jose laughed. "Nothing, my darling, I'm just going to use you to prove a point to your foolish Director. Nobody messes with Phantom Lord"

While he was talking, Jose stepped closer to Juvia, and bent over, so his face was right in front of Juvias.

"I'm sorry, my darling, but I don't think you will live through this" He drawled. Lucy saw Juvia spit at Jose, and Jose stepping back, furiously wiping off his face with his arm.

"So be it" Jose said, and nodded to one of the guards, who stepped forward and punched Juvia in the side of her face, causing her chair to tip to the side, but the guard grabbed her hair and hauled her back upright. He punched over and over, and with each of Juvia's screams, Lucy fought the need to get up and sprint in here. Natsu still had a hand on her arm, his grip growing tighter, and she heard him growl. He gripped even tighter, causing Lucy to wince. Natsu noticed, and hastily let go of her arm.

Through the window, Lucy saw the guard, who was standing in front of a bleeding and bruised Juvia, pulled out a knife. Lucy's eyes widened as he went forward make a cut on her shoulder. Juvia's scream pierced the calm of the forest. The guard then reared back and dug the knife into her side.

As he pulled the knife out, Lucy lept up. She was done waiting, she couldn't watch this happen to her friend any longer. She heard Natsu yell her name, and try to grab her, but she was already over the bushes and sprinting to the window. Lucy dove through the window, using her binoculars to break the glass. She tucked and rolled across the ground, coming up by the guard and Juvia. He had pulled out the knife and was swinging towards Juvia again. Gritting her teeth, Lucy dove in between them, and tried to grab the knife. She bit back a scream as the knife stabbed into her side, but she yanked it out, and swung her foot up and roundhouse kicked the guard, knocking him out cold. In the side of her vision, Lucy saw Natsu burst through the window as well, shouting into his comm set as he started towards the guards that were approaching Lucy.

Grunting, Lucy grabbed the knife that was lodged into her side, and pulled it out. She then put her hands up, still holding the knife, and rushed at the guards that were rushing at her. These were trained soldiers, with more skill than the men that she had fought before, so Lucy knew she couldn't let her guard down. She ducked the first punch of a guard, and swung her knife at his side.. As he stumbled back in pain, Lucy popped back up and kicked him, as he fell to the side, Lucy grabbed his arm, and turned, throwing the weight of the man into the other guard that had rushed up. Distracted by the other guard, Lucy rushed forwards and ran up the unconscious guard's back to flip over the guard and land behind hi. She put him in a headlock,and pressed a certain spot in his neck. She felt him grow limp, and dropped him. Smiling, she silently thanked Gildarts for teaching pressure points so extensively in his classes. Across the room, Natsu had taken out two guards, and was fighting two more. Lucy ran over, ignoring the way her side burned with each step.

Natsu had punched one guard, and as the guard reeled back, Lucy swung her leg around and her foot connected with his temple, sending him flying into the wall. The other guard grabbed her from behind, but Lucy grabbed his arms, and bent forward, sending him over her head, onto the ground, where Natsu leaped onto him, throwing punches until he didn't move anymore.

Lucy swung her head around, looking for Jose, and the rest of the guards, and saw them running out the door they entered in.

"Natsu, Jose is getting away!" She yelled, running after the men.

"Lucy, wait!" Natsu yelled, but Lucy had already reached the doorway, when the door in front of her exploded, sending her flying back.

Lucy hit the ground, and everything turned black for a few seconds. When she came to, she heard Natsu yelling her name, and through the smoke, saw him rush towards her, his face covered in soot. Her ears were ringing, and her vision was swimming.

"Juvia.." Lucy croaked, trying to sit up, but her arms couldn't support her.

"She's okay, she's okay" Natsu breathed, throwing himself on the ground beside her, and pulling Lucy onto his lap. Lucy hissed, when his hand touched her side, and she saw his hand come away covered in blood.

"I'm sorry, I made a mess of things" Lucy breathed, trying to laugh, but coughing instead.

"No, they were going to kill Juvia, you did nothing wrong" Natsu said, brushing her hair out of her face. Lucy smiled a small smile, and the last thing she saw before everything went black was Natsu's face.

**Sorry it's a little late, things became a little crazy the past few days, with moving back and starting work for the summer! Anyways, here's the next chapter, so enjoy! Also thank you for everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorited **

**Sonchia **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The first thing Lucy was aware of, was a steady beeping noise. Groaning, Lucy tried to turn over to put the pillow over her head, but her movement was halted when a bolt of pain came from her side. Gasping, Lucy's eyes flew open. Looking around, she realized she was in a hospital room. Groaning, she tried to sit up, when she noticed the pink haired man asleep in the chair next to her bed.

"Natsu?" She said, her voice sounding raspy. His eyes flew open, and widened when he saw she was awake.

"Lucy!" He said, rushing forward to help her sit upright.

"Ugh, I have the worst headache ever, what happened?" Lucy asked, touching her side, which she saw was bandaged. She tried to remember, but her memory was fuzzy. Shaking her head, she looks over to where Natsu sat.

The pink haired man sighed, and leaned forward, clasping his hands in his lap.

"You were hurt trying to save Juvia from Phantom Lord" He explained. Lucy blinked, slowly remembering.

"Oh," Lucy breathed. "Oh no, I went against Makarov's orders, he's going to be so mad"

Natsu smiled, "No, he's not mad, he's glad we saved Juvia before they could do any more harm"

"Jose got away though" Lucy said, clenching her fists. Natsu nodded. "Makarov's working overtime trying to find him, but until Juvia wakes up, we can't learn what she knows". At this, Lucy looks to her lap.

"How long was I out?" She asked.

"Only a few hours, you needed stitches for the wound, other than that you just have some burns and bruises from the bomb" Natsu explained. "Don't worry, I already briefed Makarov, and called Gray, he's in with Juvia now".

Lucy smiled. Gray was Juvia's fiancé, and another operative at Fairy Tail. Both he and Juvia were in her class as Fairy Tail Academy. "But Natsu, what are you doing here?" She wondered, looking at the face of her partner, who was clearly exhausted. Natsu looked at her with confusion.

"You are my partner Luce, plus, once upon a time, we used to be best friends, I'm here because I care" He said, leaning back in the chair. Lucy swallowed, looking back to her lap.

"That was a long time ago Natsu" She said softly.

She heard Natsu shift forward, and looked to see him reach out hesitantly, and take her hand.

"Lucy, I know I asked before, but I need to know. What happened? You ran off that one day and have avoided me since. I tried, but you are good at hiding. And then we graduated, and it was all I could do to find you"

Lucy let out a little laugh, then winced when it sent a jolt of pain through her body. "It was stupid, Natsu, it doesn't matter"

Natsu's grip on her hand tightened, "Yes it does!" He said firmly. Lucy shook her head, trying not to look him in the eyes. Natsu reached out a hand, and pressed it to her cheek, turning her head back towards him. "Why, Lucy?"

Swallowing, Lucy took a deep breath. "Because I was in love with you, okay!" She burst out, pulling her face out of his grip. "I saw you and Lisanna, and I just couldn't, so I ran away. Then we graduated, and life became so hectic and busy and then I felt that it was too late to try and find you again" She continued, closing her eyes.

"I'm so sorry Natsu, it was my fault. But don't worry, I am over it now, and I know what I did was cowardly and stupid, but I can't take it back" She said, her voice shaking. She didn't say it, but she had been extremely lonely the past few years. Sure, she had Levy, and Erza, and Juvia, but she didn't talk to them as much these days, or as much as she would have liked too. Natsu was silent, and Lucy dared to glance over at her partner. His face was puzzled, and his eyebrows pinched together.

"How is Lisanna by the way?" She asked, purely out of curiosity of course, not that she cared. She didn't care, not one bit. Lucy shook her head, who was she kidding, she had never forgotten her best friend.

Natsu's head shot up. "Lisanna?" He asked.

"Yeah, aren't you too still dating?" Lucy hesitantly asked. At this, Natsu started to laugh, he let go of her hand, so he could grasp at his stomach. Lucy smiled, God had she missed his laugh.

"Lucy, the only reason I had dated Lisanna was to try and make you jealous" He got out, in between his laught. "Look how that plan ended up" He laughed. Lucy looked at Natsu incredulously. "To make me jealous?" She asked, and Natsu nodded. Then Lucy began to laugh as well, even though each laugh sent a jolt of pain through her body.

"We really messed up big time didn't we?" Lucy said, once her giggles finally died down. Natsu reached out and took her hand again. "Yes, we really did, huh?"

"How about we start over?" Natsu said, his hand reaching back behind his head, looking sheepish. Lucy smiled, and stuck out her hand.

"Hi, I'm Lucy Heartfilia" She said. Natsu in turn reached out and grasped her hand in his warm one, and shook it. "I'm Natsu Dragneel, it's nice to meet you" He said seriously.

Once the doctor had looked over Lucy one more time, she was finally discharged. She was not allowed on any official missions for at least three weeks, to allow for her stab wound to heal. Though, Lucy was glad that that was the worst of her injuries. A few years back, she had taken a few bullets to the chest, and had been out of commission for almost two months. Natsu had brought a change of clothes from her apartment, so she had something to wear once she was discharged. Her stab wound made getting dressed complicated though, since it was painful to bend and stretch.

However, now Lucy found herself at the front desk, signing a few last forms, with Natsu beside her, a hand on her back. Scribbling her signature across the last piece of paper, Lucy handed the forms back to the nurse behind the desk, and then turned to look at Natsu.

"Would it be okay if I stopped in to see Juvia and Gray before I go?" She asked. Natsu nodded, "Yeah, Gray told me she was awake, and wanted to see you". Pressing his hand lightly against her back, Natsu guided her through the hospital, until they reached Juvia's room.

Lucy reached up to knock on the door frame, and peaked inside.

"Lucy!" Gray exclaimed, standing up, and rushing over to give her a hug, lightly, as to be careful for her stab wound. "I'm so glad you are okay, and thank you so much for saving Juvia, if she had died…"He trailed off, and glanced back at his blue haired fiancé. Lucy patted Gray's back. "Of course, Gray. I'm glad Juvia is okay as well", she said, smiling, and turning to the blue haired woman, and walking over the take her hand.

"Juvia" She said, looking at her battered form. There were bruises covering her entire body, as well as bandages over her ribs, which she knew were broken, and bloody bandages covering where the guard had cut and stabbed her.

Juvia gripped her hand tightly. "Are you okay Lucy?" She asked, looking at Lucy. Lucy laughed, and clasped Juvia's hand in both of hers.

"Yeah, I am. I'm just so glad you are okay, I was worried that I was too late" Lucy smiled, her eyes getting misty.

"Juvia is okay, all thanks to you and Natsu" Juvia spoke. She sighed, and closed her eyes. "I'm afraid Juvia is tired, Juvia is sorry".

Lucy carefully set her hand down. "That's okay Juvia, you rest up and focus on healing okay?". Juvia nodded, and soon was snoring lightly.

Gray came over to where Lucy was standing, and put a hand on her shoulder. "The nurse gave her some sedatives, to help with the pain" He explained. Lucy nodded. Natsu came forward, and clasped Gray's arm.

"I should get Lucy home, but if you need anything, just call and I will be right over" Natsu said, squeezing his arm once, and dropping his hand. Gray nodded. "Thank you Natsu, and thank you Lucy" He said, running his hands tiredly through his hair. Natsu nodded, and out his hand back on Lucy's back, and walked out of the room, and to his car.

Lucy was thankful for Natsu's presence. She was so tired, she didn't think she would have been able to drive home, let alone navigate the hospital corridors. When they got outside, Lucy could see the sun setting, and sighed. What a day it had been. Reaching the black Suburban, Natsu opened the door, and helped Lucy into the passenger's seat. Each movement hurt, but she was slowly getting used to the pain.

Natsu shut the car door, and walked around the car to hop in the driver's seat.

"Are you hungry or anything?" He asked, as he pulled out onto the road. Lucy shook her head. "No, I'm just tired, I think I'll just go to bed right away". Natsu nodded, "Okay" he said, driving the short drive to her apartment.

When they finally had arrived at her apartment, Lucy greeted Plue tiredly, and told Natsu to make himself at home. After he sat down in the kitchen, she headed to her room to pull on a night gown. Looking in the mirror, she flinched. She had bruises, burns, and scraped covering her entire body. "I look like a mess" She whispered to Plue, who was laying on her bedroom floor. He just looked up at her, and wagged his tail. Smiling, she tiredly shuffled out into the kitchen.

"I'm going to head to bed, so you can head out if you want" She said to her partner.

Natsu turned and looked at her sharply.

"I think i'll crash here, just in case you need help with anything" He said, taking in her tired form. "Plus you need someone to help change your bandages" He added, hoping she would let him stay. He knew Lucy was trying to act strong, but he knew from personal experience that stab wounds hurt like hell. Lucy nodded.

"I don't have a guest room, but you can take the couch" She said, motioning at the spacious couch in her living room.

"I'll grab you some pillows and blankets" She said, moving to the closet in the hallway, but Natsu grabbed her arm.

"You need to get some sleep, I can grab that stuff, I already know where it is" He said. At Lucy's confused look, his face twisted into his roguish smile. "I did some reconnaissance earlier, for intel gathering" He said cheerfully. Lucy shook her head, and smiled wanly.

"Alright, good night Natsu, and thank you for the help" She said, touching his arm. Natsu nodded, and pushed her gently towards her bedroom.

Natsu watched her walk away, and enter her bedroom, with Plue following. Turning, he went to the closet in the hallway and pulled out a blanket and a pillow. When he found out he was being partnered with Lucy, he was given access to her files. He hadn't been able to access them before, because try as he might, he could never hack into Makarov's files successfully. Lucy's apartment had been hard to break into, but he found a way in. To his surprise, her apartment was nothing like how her room looked when they were younger. This apartment was all white, modern, and shiny, instead of a cluttered homey look that she used to love.

As Natsu lowered himself onto the couch with a quiet groan, he thought back to what Lucy had said earlier.

"_Because I was in love with you, okay!" _

Natsu grimaced. He should have tried harder to find Lucy after she had run out of the room, but he was a coward. He couldn't admit to Lucy that he had loved her, and because of that he lost his best friend. He still had Gray, and all the other guys, but Lucy was the person he spent the most time with. Lisanna was a great friend too, but she could never compare to Lucy, no matter how much he tried to move on.

After 4 years, he had to admit that Lucy looked even better than he remembered. He didn't think it was possible, but she still took his breath away. Somehow, he was given a second chance to fix his mistakes, and he wasn't going to let it go to waste. He had missed Lucy every day for the past 4 years, and he wasn't about to let her run away again. He was different too, he was not the same Natsu that she had known either. Especially after Lisanna had gotten hurt during a mission a year after they had graduated. They had been undercover and trying to infiltrate a ring of illegal animal traffickers, when their cover had been blown, and before he could do anything, they had shot her, and Natsu had gotten shot in the shoulder, leaving a scar. Natsu raised his arm, to touch the scar, then huffed and turned onto his side, punching the pillow and curling up in the blanket. It had been his fault that their cover had been blown, and she hadn't forgiven him since.

He had been terrified when Lucy had left in front of that knife, but miraculously, Lucy had been okay. He had been amazed by her strength and conviction to protect her friend, to the point where she charged head-on into a room full of Phantom Members. He smiled. He sure would have his hands full in the next few months, but he was excited. This was his chance with Lucy, after waiting for so long. He wouldn't give up, or run away this time, and he wouldn't let Lucy run way either, not again.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next morning, Lucy awoke to the sound of something frying. The scent of vegetables floated through her apartment. Plue, who normally slept curled into her stomach, was gone, probably wherever the source of the food was. Groaning, she sat up, putting a hand to her side. She lifted her shirt, and saw that her bandage was turning red, meaning she would have to change it sometime soon. Sighing, Lucy slid out of bed, throwing her hair up in a bun, and pulling on her favorite pink robe. She walked out into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes.

"Good morning, Luce! How are you feeling?" Her pink haired partner said, turning around when he heard her walk into the kitchen.

"Hi, I feel fine" Lucy murmured, still half asleep, and walked over to where Natsu was by the stove. "What are you making?" She asked, leaning to look at the contents of the pan.

"Omelets!" Natsu answered, giving her a grin. "If I remember correctly, those are your favorite". Lucy patted his arm, and smiled, nodding. She turned to greet Plue, who came over wagging his tail at the sight of her.

"Yours is almost done, have a seat, i'll bring it over" Natsu said, grabbing a plate from her cupboards.

"Thank you, Natsu. Though I feel bad, I could have made you something" Lucy said, pulling out a chair at the island counter.

"Nah, you needed some rest, especially after what happened yesterday" Natsu said, bringing Lucy her plate, and a glass of juice.

"Thanks" Lucy said, smiling at Natsu, who was bumbling around her kitchen like he lived there, humming to himself.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Lucy asked, digging her fork into the omelet, and putting a piece in her mouth.

Natsu slides an omelet onto a plate, and comes over to sit next to Lucy at the counter.

"If you are feeling up to it, I was going to ask if you wanted to go to headquarters and be briefed by Makarov to see what Juvia found out while she was undercover. She was caught when she found out something big" Natsu explained, looking at her critically.

"I feel better, I want to go" Lucy said, lightly touching her side, and lifting her gaze to meet Natsu's. Natsu nodded and smiled, throwing his arm around her shoulders.

"I thought so! Anyways, let's finish eating, get that bandage changed, and we can head to Fairy Tail" Natsu said, sounding excited, as he shoveled into his omelet. Lucy laughed, and leaned into his side, before turning back to her omelet.

Not soon after, Lucy found herself sitting on her counter, in her sports bra, while Natsu set down the supplies for cleaning and re-bandaging her wound.

"Let's see it" Natsu said, walking up to Lucy. Lucy grimaced, and went to pull off her bloody bandage, hissing as she peeled it off. Natsu bend his head to examine it, wrapping a hand around her uninjured side.

"This is going to sting, try not to hurt me please" Natsu said, grabbing a cotton ball, and starting to dab at her side. Lucy inhaled sharply, and her hands flew to his shoulders, nails digging into his skin. Natsu mumbled that he was sorry, and kept on dabbing at her side. With a warm hand still on her side, Natsu leaned around her and grabbed the new bandage, applying it gently to her side.

"All done" Natsu said, his other hand going to cup Lucy's cheek.

"Thank you, Natsu" Lucy said, moving a hand to his bicep and squeezing. Natsu grinned at Lucy, as he helped her off of the counter.

"Go get dressed, then we can head out" He said, dropping his head to press a quick kiss on her forehead. Lucy nodded, and turned to go to her room. Natsu watched her leave, and once she had gotten out of sight, he turned around to clean the bathroom. Yes, he knew she was capable of changing her own bandages, but she had taken care of so many of his injuries growing up, he felt he should probably start repaying her.

"I'm ready" He heard Lucy say, as she leaned on the door frame to the bathroom. When he looked up, he felt as if his breath got knocked out of him. While Lucy always looked great, he could never get used to her when she dressed up. She hadn't put any makeup on, or fix her hair, but Lucy still looked breathtaking in a silky blouse and a pencil skirt that hit just above her knees, accentuating her curvy figure.

Lucy's eyebrows pulled together, her expression confused. "What are you starting at, do I look okay?" She asked, looking down at her outfit, and self consciously brushing her skirt with her hands.

"Huh? Oh, no! No no no" Natsu stuttered, raising his hands up. "I was zoning, you look beautiful, like alway" He finished, his words coming out fast. Lucy's cheeks reddened slightly, as she met Natsu's gaze.

"You think i'm beautiful?" She asked, stepping closer. Natsu froze, and then put a hand behind his head, laughing.

"Well duh, everyone thinks that" He says, walking past her, to pick up her purse and hand it to her. "Let's head out" He continued, changing the subject. Lucy fixed her brown eyes on the pink haired man for a few seconds longer, then let out a small laugh and nodded, walking towards the door, and slipping on her heels. With Natsu's warm hand on her back, they made their way out of her apartment, and to her car.

Not to long after, Lucy found herself in a conference room. Mirajane had found them and took them into the room, where Makarov, Juvia, and Gray were already sitting in. Juvia looked up at Lucy, and smiled wanly. As Natsu pulled out a chair, and helped Lucy sit, she looked over Juvia. She was covered head to toe in bruises, and had many bandages around her arms, and her head. Lucy bit her lip, still upset with waiting so long to try and save her. She should have jumped in right away, before Juvia had gotten hurt.

Makarov cleared his throat, shuffling some papers, bringing Lucy back to the present.

"Okay, now that we are all here, Juvia, can you fill us in on what happened before you got captured?" He asked, opening up a laptop so he could type out notes. Juvia nodded, and Lucy saw Gray take her hand, and squeeze once, lightly.

Juvia took a deep breath, and started to speak.

"Juvia was doing what she had always done, do her own things and to try and hear as much as possible. Recently, Juvia had been allowed to join the core group. There was a meeting with all of the prominent members of the groups in the Balam Alliance. There was Jose from Phantom Lord, Zero from Oracion Seis, Hades from Grimoire Heart, and Mard Geer from Tartaros."

"There's an alliance now? Since when?" Lucy gasped. The major groups had always worked separately, more focused on gaining their own money, than working with the other groups.

Juvia nodded. "Yes, they met up about 2 months ago, and are planning something big. Juvia did not find out much, because when Juvia snuck out to try and find some paperwork or files on Jose's computer, Juvia was ambushed. They tried to get information out of Juvia, but found Juvia's Fairy Tail mark. Jose was extremely upset. He kept asking about something called Lumen Histoire, but Juvia had never heard of it, and Juvia kept telling Jose that, but he didn't believe Juvia."

At this, Makarov looked troubled. "If he wants Lumen Histoire, they can't have anything good planned." He mussed.

"What is Lumen Histoire?" Gray asked, leaning forward slightly. Makarov shook his head. "I wish I could tell you, but it is class A confidential, just you guys knowing the name is a huge breach of confidentiality, and I will have to have you all sign forms to promise that you will never talk about i or mention it to anyone. It is extremely dangerous if it lands in the wrong hands, and if used in a certain way, it can be used to destroy Earth"

Lucy looked at Natsu sharply, and he reached forward to squeeze her thigh. Lucy put her hand over his, and squeezed back, before pulling away.

Juvia bit her lip, and continued. "Juvia believes that the Balam Alliance is planning something big. There is a man in the shadows who is planning and funding all of their activity, Juvia did not find out his name, but it was he who brought all of the dark guilds together, and is orchestrating all of their plans. Juvia knows he wants certain items, like the item Lucy confiscated, the Lullaby Flute."

"So, if we want to take down the alliance, we need to find the mastermind behind it all" Makarov said, typing on his laptop. "Is that all Juvia?" He asked, glancing at the blue haired woman.

Juvia shook her head, and turned her gaze to Lucy, looking apprehensive. "There is one thing that Juvia found out" Juvia paused, and turned to look at Gray, who nodded at her encouragingly. Taking a deep breathe, she continued.

"Phantom Lord has a contact that has been finding and selling Phantom many of the supplies they are looking for, and is buying drugs and distributing them to dealers all over Fiore." Juvia's eyes met Lucy's. "That man is Jude Heartfilia".

**A shorter chapter this time, I promise that the next one will be longer! Also I am sorry for the late update, I got called into work early yesterday and then ended up working a 14 hour shift so I got home pretty late, but here it is! Thank you to all who followed, favorited, and reviewed! I hope you all are well, and enjoy this chapter! **

**Sonchia**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"My father! That cannot be true!" Lucy gasped, putting a hand to her mouth.

Juvia nodded. "I am sorry Lucy, but there were many records with his name on them. I guess that he lost some money years ago, and Phantom gave him a loan, and one of the conditions was that he was to work with Phantom and help do business with Phantom's business partners." Juvia sent a look of sympathy towards Lucy, and Lucy bit her lip.

"You had no idea about this, Lucy?" Makarov asked, looking at the blonde as well. She shook her head, glancing down at her lap, where she was clenching her hands. "No, I never knew. I.." Lucy paused, unclenching her fists., "I haven't spoken to my father since I was 16. I know that after my mom died, he had a rough time, and would be gone for weeks on end, but I was little and I'm afraid I don't know what he was doing"

Natsu reached over, and gently took her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. Lucy glanced up at the pink haired man and gave him a small smile. Seeing this, Natsu squeezed her hand, but did not let go, leaving their intertwined hands in her lap. The radiating warmth from his hand comforted her, though she had not realized how small her hand was compared to his. His hand practically engulfed her own.

"We will look into it Lucy" Makarov said. At this, Lucy's head shot up. "He's my father, I can ask him" She said seriously, but Makarov shook his head. "No, Lucy. I don't want you involved in this, it's personal, and whenever things get personal, they go wrong". Lucy opened her mouth to speak, but Makarov cut her off. "You will not go near his house, or contact him in any way Lucy, do you understand?" Makarov enunciated firmly, leveling his gaze at Lucy. Lucy clenched her teeth, but nodded. She couldn't fight against Makarov, otherwise she would never be let out of here.

"Natsu, I'm trusting you to keep an eye on her" Makarov said, turning his gaze to him. Natsu nodded, his hand tightening on Lucy's. "Yes, sir. You can count on me" He said, his face set with determination. Lucy huffed. "I can watch out for myself!" She complained. "I'm not worried about that, I'm worried about your rash decisions you always make" Makarov said bluntly. Lucy sunk down in her chair.

"Thank you Juvia, please take it easy and rest up. The information you found out was extremely helpful, and Lucy, even though you disobeyed orders, you saved the life of another Fairy Tail agent, so thank you, and do not worry about the situation with your father, we will handle it" Makarov said, standing up, and handing his stuff to Mirajane.

"Please, get some rest and heal up, all of you" Mirajane said sweetly, coming over to pat Juvia's cheek, and touch Lucy's shoulder. "Thank you" Lucy said, standing up, letting go of Natsu's hand. Natsu went over to say goodbye to Gray, and then came back to put his arm around Lucy.

"Let's get you home" He said softly, leading her out of the room. Lucy sighed, and nodded, her mind whirring with what Juvia had said.

Later that night, Lucy found that Natsu was adamant about keeping his word to Makarov. While she had insisted that she was fine, and he could leave and go home, he refused, saying she still wasn't fully healed and he wanted to keep an eye on her. However, Lucy knew he was going to be making sure she didn't sneak out to go see her father. Natsu was at a disadvantage though, because he was in Lucy's apartment, and she knew it inside and out, and had made a few modifications. As she sat with Plue on her couch, watching Natsu clean up the kitchen, she formulated a plan in her mind. Tonight, when Natsu was sleeping, she would sneak out and go look around her old house. She wasn't going to talk to her dad, because he had no clue that she was a Fairy Tail operative, and after 7 years of no contact with him, Lucy didn't know how her father would take to her being there. When they were younger, Natsu had had this habit of sneaking into her bed during the night, but this Natsu was different, so Lucy was sure he would stay on the couch tonight. To be sure, when Natsu had turned his back, she had put some sleeping pills in his food. They should be kicking in sometime soon, so Lucy was waiting for him to start looking tired, and would go to her bedroom and pretend to be asleep until Natsu was sound asleep.

As if on cue, Lucy heard the pink haired man yawn loudly. She glanced up, and saw him turn off the kitchen light, and come over to the couch.

"Tired?" Lucy asked lightly, keeping her face calm. Natsu laughed, running a hand through his hair, making it into a spiky mess. At this, Lucy bit back a smile. "Yeah, just kind hit me" He said, sitting down close to her.

"I'll let you get some sleep then, I'm pretty tired too. I think an early night is a good call" Lucy said, resisting the urge to try and tame his crazy hair. Natsu, yawning again, nodded. He reached out a hand to brush some of her hair behind her ear. "Are you okay? I know you wanted to be the one to investigate your father, and I'm sure the news was a surprise" He said softly. Natsu's hand stayed by her face, lightly cupping her cheek. Lucy reached up and put her hand over his lightly.

"I haven't been involved in my dad's life since my mom died, nothing surprises me anymore. He changed after she died, he became more secluded and cruel. Thinking on it now, I'm really not surprised at his actions" Natsu nodded, leaning forward, and lightly kissing her forehead.

"Get some sleep, Luce, I'll see you tomorrow" Lucy squeezed his hand, and let go, standing up, and turning to walk to her room. "Good night Natsu" She said softly, turning back to him to give him a small smile. Walking into her room, Lucy started to get ready. Pushing aside the clothes in her closet, she revealed a panel, with a number pad next to it. Typing in the code, the panel opened with a slight whir, revealing a wall that contained her various suits and weapons. Grabbing the black catsuit, Lucy pulled it on, and threw her hair up into a ponytail. She then grabbed a backpack, and began to fill it with the items she thought she would need. She would have to hack into the security system to get into the house, then somehow get in through a vent or an open window. Lucy knew he had guards that patrolled 24/7, so she would also have to find a way to get around them as well. Grimacing, Lucy knew this would be harder than usual, because she could not ask Levy for her help. She had begun to rely on her friend's amazing hacking abilities, but tonight she would have to go without them. And no matter what had happened in the past, Lucy still cared and thought about her father. Maybe she could get a deal with Makarov, so her father's life wouldn't be completely ruined, but she had to know the truth. If he was working with Phantom, Lucy was afraid that it would be impossible to get him free from their web. Once she had packed everything she thought she would need, Lucy grabbed a coat, and pulled it on over her jumpsuit.

Quietly opening the door, Lucy walked as softly as she could to go check on Natsu. Smiling slightly, she finds him sprawled out on her couch, breathing deeply, which meant he was fast asleep. Going back to her room, Lucy stuffed a few pillows under her blanket, so that if Natsu checked, maybe he would think they were her. From her assessment earlier this morning, Natsu had modified her security system, so it would alert him if she opened a window or a door, but he did not know that she had a vent that she hid behind a painting that she could use to get out of her apartment. After pulling the painting off of the wall, Lucy pulled the metal grate off and set it on the floor, and hoisted herself into the dark and dusty vent.

After ten minutes of crawling and navigating herself through the metal shafts, Lucy found herself behind the wheel of her car. Wincing, as she pulled the door shut, Lucy gingerly touched where she had been stabbed. She should have taken some more pain meds before she left, but she didn't want to chance waking Natsu up, since the bottle was still sitting on the kitchen counter. Lucy shook her head, and started the car, and started the twenty minute drive to her father's mansion. There was an old servant's tunnel to the south of the property, which Lucy had discovered and used to run away when she was 16. She doubted that her father had found it, because the tunnel led straight to a secret room that she found in the walls of her bedroom. Her father had stopped coming to her bedroom shortly after her mom had died, choosing to lock himself in his office instead. As the minutes passed, Lucy became more and more anxious, her fingers tapping the steering wheel. She hadn't been home in years, well, her old home. She hadn't thought of it as her home for a long time. After she had run away, she had stayed with Natsu, and his dad, Igneel. That was how she had gotten started on her path to becoming an operative for Fairy Tail, because at the time, Igneel, as well as his friends Metalicana and Grandeeney. But when a mission went wrong, all three had gone missing. All that was found was their blood. Since then, Makarov had taken in her, Natsu, Gajeel, and Grandeeney's newborn, Wendy, in to live at Fairy Tail's academy housing. Wendy was later taken in by another member of Fairy Tail, Porlyusica, who was Grandeeney's sister. From then on, her, Natsu, and Gajeel had been training to become operatives. Natsu had been obsessed with looking for Igneel when he was younger, but he had never found anything. Some hints came up, but they were rare, and always lead to dead ends. And never once during all her years since she ran away, had her father try to contact or find her. Lucy felt tears start to prick at her eyes. Blinking furiously, Lucy tried to calm herself. She couldn't deny that she missed her father, and with Natsu back, it made all those feelings new again. Since her and Natsu had drifted apart, she had been overcome with loneliness. She had already lost two fathers, and then she lost her best friend on top of it. She hoped to make this trip fast, so she could get back before Natsu woke up and noticed that she was gone. While she had been hesitant at first, she was finally getting her best friend back, and she didn't want to risk losing him again.

Coming to a stop sign, Lucy pulled to a stop, and turned left, driving until she found a tiny dirt road, that if someone had not known it was there, it would have been nearly invisible. This was a secret path that lead to her father's mansion. Lucy drove the car into the woods a few feet, making sure the leaves hid the car's presence from anyone on the main road, and got out, grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.

The foliage was heavy, but with the moon's bright light, Lucy was able to see enough to accurately make her way towards the entrance to the tunnel. Stepping over roots, and ducking to make it under low hanging branches, Lucy slowly made her way to the entrance. Making sure to check for hidden cameras or other guards, Lucy found herself in front of the tunnel. The tunnel was marked by a small ledge in the forest, the ledge was made by huge rocks, that had never been moved. In between the biggest two rocks, there was a space, where someone small, like herself, could fit through. A grown man could never make it through the space, so it made sense to be an entrance that had been used by servants. The Heartfilia's had been living in the mansion for many generations, and always, had had pretty, young women and girls to be their servants. They could easily fit through the space and could escape the property if need be. However, this tunnel had been forgotten about until Lucy, when she was locked in her room, had accidentally found a loose panel in the floor under the big rug that covered her bedroom. Under the loose panel had been a lever, which when pulled, opened a small door in her closet. From the minute Lucy had found the door, she had begun her escape plan. Her father had taken to locking her in her room, so she couldn't leave or bother him. She also could not see her friends, or go to school anymore, and was forbidden to try and contact them. Her phone, and computer had been taken away. So after a few weeks of sneaking supplies, packing, and exploring the tunnel, Lucy had made a run for it. She had run all night, until she had made it to Natsu's house. Igneel had a house that was around 15 miles outside of Magnolia, so by the time Lucy had made it, she was exhausted, dehydrated, and dirty. Lucy remembered how she barely had the strength to knock on the door before her legs had given out, and she sank to the ground on their doorstep.

Squeezing through the space, Lucy grabbed a flashlight from a pocket on her backpack and clicked it on, starting to venture further into the pitch black tunnel that would take her to her old bedroom. Thankfully, the tunnel looked the same as it had when she had used it the first time, only with more dust and grime. After a while, Lucy came across a wooden ladder that lead to a door. Testing her weight on the first step, Lucy tucked the flashlight into her backpack and started to climb, pushing on the wooden door until it opened, and Lucy was able to pull herself out of the tunnel.

After dusting herself off, Lucy straightened up, and grabbed her flashlight again. Lucy inhaled sharply. To her surprise, her room was exactly the way she remembered it. Her huge four-poster bed in the middle, covered in pink frilly sheets, her bookcase filled with all her favorite books, everything was still there. Lucy walked towards the bookcase, and ran her fingers along the spines of the books, a small smile on her face. As much as she had wanted to take all these books with her, she could only fit so much into her backpack and bag that she had packed. Everything was clean too, there was no dust to be found anywhere, so her father must have chosen to have her room cleaned and kept the way it was. Biting her lip, Lucy pulled out her phone and checked the time. It was a little after eleven, and her father may still be up and working, so Lucy had to be careful. Moving to her desk, Lucy pulled out her laptop from her backpack and set it up. After she plugged it in, Lucy began to type away. Her goal now was to hack into the security feed so she would be able to see all the cameras in the hallways and be able to put them on a loop, so she wouldn't be seen sneaking down the hallways. After a few more clicks, her screen suddenly filled with camera feeds.

"Yes!" Lucy whispered to herself, pulling out her phone and quickly transferring the camera feeds from her computer to her phone. Once they were completely downloaded, Lucy checked to see if anyone was around, but all the hallways looked clear. Her father also did not have a camera installed in his office, but from what she could see, the light was not on, so he must be in bed already.

Lucy closed her computer, and stuffed it back in her backpack, which she slung over her shoulder as she stood up. With her phone in hand, Lucy quietly opened up the door to her old bedroom, and snuck into the hallway. The floor was creaky in spots, so Lucy walked as slowly as she could, checking her phone every few steps to make sure the coast was clear. After a few more turns, Lucy was in front of her father's office. She tried the handle, and found that it was unlocked, so she pushed the door inward, and peeked around the door. She found his office to be dark and empty, so Lucy hurriedly slid inside and locked the door behind her. Clicking on her flashlight, Lucy hurried to the other side of her father's desk, and began to rifle through the papers, but taking care to return them back to their original place. She did not want others getting in trouble for what she was doing. All she was finding on the top of his desk was papers for the Heartfilia's company, nothing that would allude to being affiliated with Phantom Lord. Biting her lip, Lucy moved to try and open the drawers on her father's desk. Flipping her ponytail out of the way, Lucy tugged on the drawers, but found that they were locked. Reaching into her backpack, Lucy pulled out two metal picks, and stuck them into the lock on the front of the wooden drawer.

After a few seconds of maneuvering the picks, the lock clicked, and Lucy pulled it open triumphantly. Pulling the contents out, Lucy shuffled through the papers, until she got to a fat manilla folder. Frowning, Lucy pulled it out, and opened it on the desk.

Inside were papers from a private investigation company. Quickly scanning the documents, Lucy realized that her father had been looking for her. The first date was around three years ago. Though her father had never found her, or anything about her, because her location and name was hidden by Fairy Tail, making it nearly impossible for anyone who wasn't an operative at Fairy Tail to find out anything about her. Lucy felt her lip tremble, and had to blink away the tears that were forming. So her father hadn't forgotten about her, he had tried to find her. Granted, he waited a few years, but all that mattered was that he cared. That was all that Lucy wanted; a father that cared about her and loved her.

Closing the manilla folder, and softly running her hand over the top, Lucy proceeded to shove everything back in the drawer. Pulling out her phone, Lucy quickly scanned the cameras to see if anyone was coming her way. Flipping through the different feeds, Lucy hummed to herself, until one made her gasp and throw her hand over her face. In the video, her father was being dragged down the hallway by two burly men. Lucy couldn't move as she watched a servant rush forward, only to be shot point blank by one of the men. Lucy cried out, and suddenly she was moving. Throwing the door open, Lucy grabbed a gun from the holster she had strapped to her waist, and sprinted down the hallways.

Gritting her teeth, Lucy turned another corner, and ran down the main staircase, into the foyer. Glancing at her phone, the men had taken her father to a room to the right of the foyer, and had tied him up to a chair. Jumping down the last few stairs, Lucy ran to the room, and kicked the door in.

"Stop!" She yelled, pointing her gun at the men in the room.

"Lucy!?" She heard her father gasp. She slid her gaze over him, and blanched. One of the men had a gun to his head. The other one had also pulled out his gun and pointed it at Lucy. Lucy opened her mouth to say something, but the third man turned around, with a wicked grin on his face.

"Hello Lucy. Welcome home"

**I am so sorry it took so long to update! It was a combination of writer's block and work. I had a busy few weeks and I barely had even half an hour to work on this chapter so I couldn't get my ideas into words, but I finally did it! I hope you guys enjoy, and I will try my best to get back on track with my updates. Enjoy :) **

**-Sonchia **


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 

Lucy clenched her teeth, moving to point her gun at the man who had talked to her.

"Who are you, and what the hell do you want with my father?" Lucy demanded. But the man with the black hair just laughed, and stepped towards Lucy. Lucy's eyes narrowed. This man looked like he was the leader. His black suit looked expensive, and had a European cut, and the rings on his fingers glinted, the light reflecting off of them as he moved forward.

"Stop, or I'll shoot" Lucy said, clenching her gun tighter. The black haired man's face broke into a cruel smile, making Lucy shiver. The smile distorted his handsome face, making him seem menacing and cruel.

"I don't think you will Lucy, because we outnumber you" The man said, moving his hands to the two men behind him. "One shot from you, and my two helpers here will shoot you and your father". Feeling her stomach drop , Lucy's eyes flicked between her father and the black haired man. Her father began to struggle against the man who was restraining him.

"Lucy, just leave! It's not worth it. Please" He pleaded, looking at his daughter.

Tears welling in her eyes, Lucy took in a shuddering breath.

"Put the gun down Lucy" The black haired man said. Lucy sobbed. She just had to come here alone, if she lived through this, she swore she would apologize to Natsu. She wouldn't run off like this anymore. She would apologize to her father, and try to start talking to him again. Feeling a tear drop down her face, Lucy closed her eyes and held up her hands. She felt the gun get ripped out of her hand, and her arms pulled roughly behind her. With a click, a pair of handcuffs were attached to her wrists, and she was thrown down on her knees by her father.

"Lucy" Her father breathed, looking down at her.

"I'm so sorry Father, for everything" Lucy whispered, tears flowing down her face. But Jude was shaking his head. "No, Lucy, I am the one who is sorry. No matter what happens to me, remember that, and that I love you, and always have." He said, looking at his daughter's face, as if he was memorizing it. Then he turned and looked the black haired man in the eyes.

"Zeref, do whatever you want to me, but please, leave my daughter alone." He pleaded. The man, Zeref, laughed, and nodded towards the man who held Lucy's father.

"I can make no promises Jude. You were found out. That pesky little Fairy Tail operative uncovered the truth about you, and now I have no use for you anymore. Though I did not know that Jude Heartfilia's daughter would make an appearance, which makes tonight even more fun." Cocking his head, Zeref regarded Jude, who was on his knees in front of him. "Did you know Jude, that your daughter is a part of Fairy Tail? No? How precious. Well after she ran away, she lived with Igneel Dragneel, who you had the pleasure of working with a few years ago."

Lucy cried, pulling against the man holding her arms, but he pulled a knife from his side, and pushed it against her throat, hard enough to draw a line of blood, which dripped down over her collarbone.

"Don't worry, I have something special planned for her once I'm through with you, Jude" Zeref said smoothly.

"Leave her alone Zeref!" Jude shouted, but was cut off by a swift kick to the face, which send Jude sprawling to the ground with a spray of blood.

Lucy screamed, sobs ripping through her throat, hot tears running down her cheeks, clouding her vision. See could do nothing as she watched the man kick and punch her father over and over. Her father had slumped over onto the ground, his face turned towards her. Lucy grew limp as well, meeting her father's eyes, still bright behind his bloody and bruised face.

"You look just like Layla" He whispered, voice harsh. Lucy's eyes widened, her breaths coming out in gasps. Jude just smiled at her, and closed his eyes as Zeref walked forward and grabbed his suit jacket, pulling him up.

"Thank you Jude, for all that you have done. Now your debt is paid" He said, and dropped him into the ground. Before Lucy move a muscle, the man pulled out a gun and shot Jude in the temple. Lucy choked, leaning forward to throw up, sobbing as she collapsed to the ground, no longer held by the man behind her.

"Father" She whimpered, looking at his limp body, never to move again.

Suddenly, she was pulled up by her hair. But Lucy was numb, she didn't feel anything anymore. Slim fingers grabbed her face, forcing her to look into blood red eyes.

"You tell Makarov this, Lucy Heartfilia. Tell him that I want Lumen Histoire, and that I will be coming for it." Zeref said, grinning at her.

"I'm only keeping you alive as a message to the meddlesome old man. But remember this Lucy, next time we meet, you won't be so lucky". With this, Zeref stroked Lucy's cheek, and stood up, turning to stride out of the room. The man holding her clicked his tongue, dropping Lucy back to the ground, and kicked her in the stomach, causing her to scream, and stepped over her, following Zeref out of the room.

Gapsing in pain, Lucy lay on the ground, watching the feet of the men walk out of the room. They had left the handcuffs on, so Lucy wasn't able to move her arms. Using her legs to push her, Lucy moved closer to her father. Bending over his body, Lucy began to cry, the sobs racking her body. Why hadn't she done more to save him. It was her fault that he was dead. Hers. Crying, Lucy lay there for what seemed like hours, until she was numb, and the tears had stopped.

She was still laying there when the storm of Fairy Tail operatives burst into the room. Lucy could hear them shouting, and talking to her, trying to move her, but she was numb. She couldn't move, she didn't want to move. Lucy felt like she was watching herself from afar, and that it wasn't her answering the agents questions, like she wasn't in control of herself. After a while, Lucy grew quiet, and the agents gave up on their questions, letting her sit on the floor in the corner of the room, watching the operatives mill around, trying to figure out what happened in the room. Lucy looked down at her hands, and was surprised to see them shaking. A whimper escaping her, she clenched her fists in her hands, nails digging into her hands until she drew blood.

Blinking, she felt a hand against her cheek, soft and warm. In front of her, was a familiar face, with bright green eyes, and messy pink hair.

"Natsu" Lucy croaked, her voice scratchy from screaming and crying.

"Hey" He said softly, running a finger over her cheekbone. "Let's get you home, okay?" He soothed, his hands moving down to her hands, where he uncurled them, and gently took them in his own. Lucy blinked, searching his face, then nodded. Natsu gave her a small smile, and slid an arm under her legs, and another around her back, swinging her up into his arms princess style. Clutching his shirt, Lucy felt a tear slip from her eyes, and she buried her face into his chest, trembling in his arms. She just felt the steady rocking of Natsu walking, stopping occasionally to answer a question from an agent who was still in the house. Then she was outside, the harsh light from inside was gone, taken over by the inky darkness of the night, as Natsu brought her to his car.

Natsu hadn't said a word as he drove them back to her apartment. Face blank, he went about his business. He had silently checked Lucy over for injuries, after she had changed, but he was still hesitant and cautious with her. Lucy could tell. Natsu didn't know what she needed, what he could do to help. He was watching over her like a hawk, his eyes sharp, as she made her way to her bed. He followed her, helping her pull the sheets back, and climb wearily into bed. Bending over her, he gently pressed his lips to her forehead, and squeezed her arm before turning around to walk out of her room.

"Natsu?" Lucy called softly, before he could leave. "Can you stay with me tonight?" She asked. Smiling sadly, Natsu nodded, coming around to the side of her bed, and slipping under the sheets. He curled close, pulling Lucy over, and letting her rest her head on his chest. Wrapping his arms around her, Natsu leaned his cheek against her head.

"How are you doing? He whispered, his first words since he found her on the floor in her father's house. Clenching her hand around Natsu's shirt, Lucy took in a shaky breath. Swallowing, she spoke.

"It was my fault Natsu" She began, " I disobeyed orders again, and look what happened. I should have fought harder, I should have done something." She went on. "Natsu, I just gave up" She breathed, her breath hitching in her throat.

Tightening his arms around her, with one hand drawing small circles on her back, Natsu hushed her softly.

"You had no choice, you were outnumbered Luce, and they would have killed you if you fought back"

"But i should have, Natsu. My father-" Lucy broke off, as sobs once again took over her body.

"I know baby. He loved you so much, even though he may not have shown it at times" Natsu said, smoothing Lucy's hair away from her tear stained face.

"I never got to say I was sorry, for running away" Lucy whispered. Natsu didn't say anything, but only pressed his lips to her forehead. Lucy sighed, and curled closer to Natsu, hand clenching the fabric of his shirt tightly, as if she would fly away if she let go.

"When I was searching, I found paperwork in his desk. It turns out that after I ran away, he looked for me, he hired dozens of detectives to try and find me-" Lucy went on. "I had no clue. I thought he hated me, that he didn't want to be a part of my life or have me in his, but I was wrong. I was wrong" Lucy buried her face in Natsu's chest, tears dripping onto his t shirt.

"I couldn't find you either, Luce. I woke up and you were gone" Natsu murmured, running his hand slowly through her blonde hair, which had been taken down out of it's ponytail.

"I'm so sorry" Lucy said, her head coming up so she could look him in the eyes. "I know what I did was wrong, I know I disobeyed Makarov, and I'm suffering the consequences. But I promise, I will never do anything like that again, especially not alone" Lucy said firmly, her eyes never leaving Natsu's.

"I was too full of myself and of my abilities, and I walked into a situation that I wouldn't have been able to win" She continued, voice scratchy.

Under her, she felt Natsu sigh.

"I'm just glad that you are alright. I just got you back, I didn't know what I would have done if I had lost you again" He said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I'm still here, and I promise I won't be going anywhere, anytime soon, okay?" Lucy promised. Natsu held her gaze for a few seconds longer, before pulling Lucy back down, wrapping his arms around her again.

"Try to get some sleep Luce" He whispered, running his hand up and down her back lightly. She was silent for a long time, long enough that he thought she had fallen asleep, until he heard her whisper.

"Thank you, Natsu".

**Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter. Some pretty big stuff went down, but now that story is finally falling into place. I promise there will be some happy chapters coming up, it won't be all doom and gloom! Anyways, thank you to everyone who followed and favorited! I hope you all enjoy this chapter! **

**-Sonchia**


	8. Chapter 8

Later the next day, Lucy found herself in a big boutique full of colorful dresses, shoes, and everything in between. The white walls adorned by racks of dresses, with a three sided mirror in the middle. Before they entered the store, Erza had come up with a game plan; they were to browse for half an hour and reconvene to try on and compare dresses together. With a determined gleam to her eyes, Erza began rifling through dresses with a single mindedness that scared even the most determined saleswomen away.

Giggling, Lucy grabbed Levy's hand and tugged her towards the other side of the store.

"Soooo, how's the living situation going with Natsu?" Levy asked, glancing at Lucy while she looked through the dresses on the rack.

"Surprisingly well actually. He's a lot more mature than the old Natsu, that's for sure. And he can actually cook now which is super nice." Lucy answered, grabbing a red dress from the wall.

"Wow, I mean he and Gajeel went on a few joint missions, but they fight like brothers so I haven't really seen that side of him"

"Also, spill! I heard from a covert source that you and Gajeel moved in together!" Lucy giggled, giving Levy a sly look.

"How did you find that out? I hadn't even told Makarov about the address change?"

"Duh, Juvia told me"

"Okay, but it's literally impossible to keep anything from her, when she turns those puppy eyes at me I can't say no!" Levy pleased. "I promise I was going to tell you!" She continued.

Lucy laughed. "I knew you would! But I like to surprise you so it worked out" Levy groaned, and bumped her shoulder into Lucy's.

"But seriously, it's been so long since we actually talked and hung out. How's my girl?"

At this, Lucy bit her lip and looked down at her feet. "I'm doing better. A few days ago, not so much, but Natsu's been staying over and it helps a lot. It was weird at first, but I think we both worked out our problems and now it's like old times, and surprisingly, he's not as difficult to live with as he used to be!" Smiling, Levy shifted the dresses in her arms to grab Lucy's hand.

"I'm glad it's working out, given your history with him, but if you ever need some girl talk, i'm always free" Levy said firmly. Lucy smiled back, and squeezed her friend's hand.

"Of course! Now let's go try on these dresses!" Lucy cheered, pulling Levy towards the fitting rooms, where she could already hear Erza's demanding voice coming from.

"I think this is the one" Lucy said, stepping out of her dressing room, to where her friends were sitting, waiting to see Lucy's choices. Lucy stopped, and held her arms out, and did a slow spin for her friends.

While she had liked the dresses she had tried on previously, the minute she tried this one on, she knew it was the one. It was bright red, and hugged her curves. There was a slit in the fabric, that exposed one leg, and it was backless. The front was low cut, but not enough to be sleazy.

"Oh Lucy! You look lovely" Was Juvia's response, as she held her hand over her mouth with a gasp. Levy also agreed. "You look so hot, this is the perfect dress" She chimed in, with a devilish smile on her face. Lucy smiled, and looked at Erza, who was eyeing her dress critically, rubbing her thumb over her bottom lip.

"I like the choice, it is the perfect look for a bachelorette party, sexy, yet sophisticated. You must get this dress Lucy" She finally said, standing up to clap Lucy on the shoulder.

"Girls. I think we are set! Let's go get some food and then prepare for tonight!" She cheered, pulling Juvia and Levy up to pull everyone into a group hug. As soon as Lucy changed back into her regular clothes, the girls went to buy their dresses. Taking this slow moment, Lucy pulled out her phone, and unlocked it. Smiling to herself, she found a few texts from Natsu.

These new recruits are babies. They nearly fainted during the warmup.

Giggling, Lucy opened the video he sent with the text- showing a group of kids freshly out of high school attempting to run through an obstacle course, which Lucy recognized as one of Gildart's old training courses.

How's the shopping? I hope you didn't buy out the entire store

Shaking her head, Lucy typed back an answer.

It's going really well, we all found dresses and yes the store is still standing you weirdo. Have fun with the new recruits ;p

With that, Lucy locked her phone again and slid it back into her pocket, and slid her arm through Levy's as they all walked out to Erza's car to drop off their dresses, and walk the few blocks to 7island, Juvia's favorite restaurant.

"God it's been so long since we had a girls night!" Lucy exclaimed, turning to face her friends where they were all seated getting ready in Juvia's living room. Lucy held a curler in her hands, and wound a piece of her hair around it.

"Right! Do you remember that one time we all went out when we were at the Academy, and Juvia threw up in Makarov's office after we broke in on a dare from the guys" Levy said, laughing.

"No! Don't remind me please! I swear that Makarov thinks of that every time he looks at me!" Juvia cried, putting down her lipstick.

"Come on, at least you didn't fall over in the middle of the sidewalk like Lucy! We had to call Natsu to come and carry her back. Except she had to pee halfway back to the dorms and when Natsu set her down to pee in the woods, she fell down and rolled into the river at the bottom." Erza chimed in.

"Come one guys, that was my first time ever being drunk! Give me a break!" Lucy cried. It had been the night of her 21st birthday, and since she was the last of her friends to turn 21, it was a big party and she ended up drinking way too much. Poor Natsu spent most of the night helping her puke, something he still reminds her of to this day.

"Do not worry. I will be vigilant tonight.I will take care of you all" Erza stated, getting up, and helping Juvia curl a few pieces of hair she missed in the back of her head.

"Thanks Erza, but make sure to have some fun too please" Juvia's soft voice said from behind Erza.

"Of course, Via. But this night is all about you! You are the first of us to get married! You know, I always thought it would be Lucy and Natsu" Erza answered.

"Me too! Remember that bet we had?" Levy laughed.

"What!? What bet?" Lucy gasped.

"Oh, nothing. We just had a bet on how long it would take you and Natsu to get together. Though the little pink haired turd ruined it when he decided to date Lisanna" Levy dismissed, waving her hand.

"You guys! What-" Lucy sputtered, cheeks turning red.

"Come on. You guys practically lived together. Natsu basically lived in your room during our time at the Academy." Levy cajoled.

"Oh my gosh" Lucy cried.

"But hey, aren't you guys staying together again? How's that going?" Levy sang, winking at Lucy.

"Yeah, but it's nothing like that! Makarov ordered us to work together, believe me it wasn't all peachy in the beginning. We are just starting to get back to normal now" Lucy said.

"You guys looked real close the other day in the park" Juvia chimed in, a light lilt to her voice.

Erza, Levy, and Juvia all shared a smug smile, their eyes sparkling.

"No! Do not give that look!" Lucy ordered, pointing her curling iron at the other girls. "Let's just focus on Juvia- it's her night, remember!" She continued.

"Fine, fine, whatever you say Lucy" Levy said. Lucy bit her lip and turned back to look at her reflection in the mirror. Fluffing her hair, Lucy spritzed some hair spray, so her curls would stay in place all night. Her eyes were accentuated by dark eyeshadow and eyeliner, and her lips matched the bright red of her dress.

Levy looked flawless, with her contrasting blue hair and silky orange dress, which she somehow pulled off. Erza cut an imposing yet beautiful figure in a purple halter dress with thigh high boots. Lastly, Juvia was in her usual blue, her hair fell in soft curls around her face, and her blue dress fell in ruffled around her thighs.

"What's Gray up too tonight?" Lucy asked, slipping on her heels and coming to stand by the rest of her entourage.

"He's with Natsu and Gajeel, they are having their guy time, and waiting to pick us up" Juvia answered.

"So they are playing video games and fighting" Levy answered.

"Most likely" Juvia laughed. "Now, let's go party!" She cheered, putting on a sash that read "Bride to be" and a plastic crown that they had bought earlier in the day. Outside waited a cab, that would take them to the club downtown.

"Before we go, let's take one for the road" Erza said, and brought a bottle of alcohol, and poured it into 4 shot glasses. Giggling, the girls gathered around, and on the count of three Lucy, and the rest took the glass and drank the contents. Squealing, the girl's, arm in arm, made their way out the door and piled into the cab.

"Take that Flamebrain!"

"No! What the hell!"

Groaning, Natsu slumped backwards, as Gray cheered. The TV screen announcing Natsu's defeat. Gajeel barked out a laugh, slapping his knees.

"Wooow, you suck Salamander" He laughed.

"I'd like to see you do better, metalhead" Natsu growled, chucking the video game remote at his head.

"Ow!" He yelled, lunging at Natsu, and putting him in a headlock.

"The girls just left to go to the club" Gray interrupted. Huffing, Gajeel let go of Natsu, and with a growl, Natsu pushed him off.

"Did Juvia say where they were headed? Lucy didn't say" Natsu asked.

"To that new one that opened downtown, Club Magnolia" Gray answered. His phone dinged again, and Gray held it up to the two other guys.

On the screen was a picture of the four girls on front of the club, arms around each other and laughing. When Natsu's gaze fell on a certain blonde, his heart stopped.

"Ooooh Salamander, I know that look" Gajeel chuckled. "Dude, you've got it bad" Turning on him, Natsu lunged, but Gray grabbed his arm.

"Look, I was planning on crashing anyways, so you can get your chance with your girl" Gray said, letting go of Natsu, and leaning back, crossing his arms.

"She's not my girl" Natsu denied.

"Come on, you used to have the biggest crush on her, you can't deny that you still have feelings for her" Gray responded.

"Yeah, but it's too soon. I mean her father just died, and we only started talking again a few weeks ago" Natsu muttered, his cheeks turning red.

"Natsu, since when have you been cautious?" Gajeel said, suddenly serious. "You like her, and it's obvious that she likes you, just go for it"

"I know I know, it's just that I finally got her back, I don't want to risk that" Natsu said firmly, running his hands through his hair, causing it to stand on end.

"Well, no matter what you decide to do, you ARE coming to the club with us. You don't want to leave Lucy alone in a club looking like that" Gray said, getting up. Natsu looked up in alarm.

"Oh no. You don't think-" He started, fists clenched.

"Cool it pyro, let's get ready, you'll be with your girl soon enough" Gray interrupted, pulling Natsu up from the ground.

"Ugh!" Lucy groaned, setting down another shot glass, and stumbled into Juvia who was beside her. "Oh sorry!" She yelled, over the loud music that was pounding around them. Juvia giggled and slurred "Ohhh it's all good Lushe! Oooh! I know! Let's go dance!"

"Yes!" Lucy laughed, and arm in arm, her and Juvia wound their way to the dance floor, where Erza and Levy were.

The lights made her dizzy, and Lucy knew she was definitely drunk. As a new song started, Lucy threw her hands in the air. Feeling a hand on her waist, she looked over, to where a man was, dancing beside her. Giggling, she threw her arms around his neck.

"What's your name, beautiful?" He asked. Lucy looked him up and down. He was blonde, and muscular, wearing jeans and a black dress shirt.

"Lucy, what's yours?" She asked.

"Lucy, the name suits you. I'm Loke. What's a lovely lady like yourself doing in a place like this?" He asked, his arms going tight around her, pulling her close to his body.

"A Bachelorette party" Lucy laughed, tripping a little, but Loke's arms held her upright.

"Oh, are you the lucky bride?" Loke asked, stopping his dancing for a second, unlatching his arms.

"Oh. no, noo! My friend is getting married!" Lucy said, resting a hand on his arm.

"Phew! Don't scare me like that" Loke laughed. "So, can I buy you a drink?" He asked. Nodding, Lucy smiled, and stumbled to the bar beside him.

"A shot for the pretty lady, and whatever drink she wants" Loke said to the bartender, leaning over the counter.

"Oh no, I don't need another shot" Lucy laughed.

"Nonsense, it's part of the fun, doll" Loke purred, sliding the glass into Lucy's hand. Laughing, Lucy downed it, with a cough, and took a sip of the other drink the bartender gave her.

The liquid burned as it went down her throat, so Lucy drank more of the drink in her hand.

"Want to go dance?" Loke asked, after she finished most of her drink.

Before Lucy could answer though, another voice cut in.

"Sorry, but i'm borrowing her from you"

Looking over, Lucy gasped. Standing beside her was Natsu, in dark jeans and and a white and blue striped dress shirt.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried, and threw her arms around his neck. Laughing, Natsu's arms wound around her, steadying her as she stumbled, giggling.

"What are you doing here?" Lucy asked, pulling away, but keeping a hand on his chest.

"You know Gray, he just couldn't stay away from Juvia" Natsu said. "Also, you look stunning" He whispered, leaning down to speak into her ear.

Blushing, Lucy smiled up at him, and leaned up to kiss his cheek.

"Let's go dance" Lucy slurred, dragging Natsu along behind her, trying her hardest not to trip over her heels. Keeping a hand on her waist, Natsu helped her along, until they reached the dance floor. Seeing her in person was even more breathtaking, and Natsu had to remind himself to breathe.

Lucy wound her arms around his neck, and he put his hands on her bare back, and pulled her close.

"Nashu, I think i'm drunk" Lucy giggled, stumbling, slipping in her heels.

"I can see that." Natsu laughed, steading her. "Do you want to head out?"

"Yeah, let's go home! Though I need to find the girls! Erza will freak if I leave without telling her" Lucy agreed.

"I think I saw her over by Gray and Juvia, leads head over there" Throwing his arm around her shoulders, he lead her over to the other side of the bar, where Erza was watching Juvia fawn over Gray, and Gray throwing warning looks to all the rest of the guys in the club.

"Lucy! I was wondering where you went" Erza called, as she and Natsu walked up. Erza pulled Lucy into a hug.

"Hey, we are going to head out, are you guys all good?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah, Gray's going to drop me off at home" Erza reassured.

"Thank you so much for coming Lucy! It was an amazing night" Juvia gushed, reaching forward to pull Lucy into a tight hug. Gray smiled, and kissed her cheek, then reached over to bump fists with Natsu.

"See you guys later" Natsu said and raised one hand in a wave, and rested the other on Lucy's back.

Leaning her head on his chest, Lucy let him guide her outside. The cool air helping her dizziness and cooling her off,the air refreshing after being in the cramped club for hours. Feeling Natsu press his lip to her forehead, she turned up to look at him, a smile spreading across her face.

"Did you have fun?" He asked. Lucy nodded.

"Tons of fun! Though i'm happy you came, that made it more fun"

"It is more fun when we are together" Natsu agreed, laughing.

Though, twenty minutes later, when Natsu finally got Lucy back in her apartment, he was seriously beginning to change his mind.

Drunk Lucy is and always was a handful. She made him carry her up the stairs, and how she wanted him to help her get her dress off.

Sighing, Natsu turned her around and helped her unzip her dress, and catching her when she tipped over, trying to pull it off.

"Sorry" She giggled, throwing the dress on the ground. Trying to keep his eyes on her face, Natsu did his best to guide her to her bed.

"Come on, let's get to bed" Natsu said, making her sit down on the bed.

"Come on Nashuuuu!" Lucy giggled, and pulled him down too. "You are so warm" She cooed, curling up against him, and nuzzling her face into his shoulder. Snorting, Natsu tried to pry her off, so he could go sleep on the couch, but Lucy started crying the minute he tried to get up.

"Fine. I'll stay!" He finally relented, sliding into the bed next to his drunken partner.

"Thank you" She giggled, and reached up and gave him a sloppy kiss on the lips.

"Goodnight Nashu" She mumbled, falling back onto her pillows.

"Goodnight Lucy" Natsu said, smiling, and pushing the hair out of her face, and pulling the covers over them both.


	9. Chapter 9

Later the next day, Lucy found herself in a big boutique full of colorful dresses, shoes, and everything in between. The white walls adorned by racks of dresses, with a three sided mirror in the middle. Before they entered the store, Erza had come up with a game plan; they were to browse for half an hour and reconvene to try on and compare dresses together. With a determined gleam to her eyes, Erza began rifling through dresses with a single mindedness that scared even the most determined saleswomen away.

Giggling, Lucy grabbed Levy's hand and tugged her towards the other side of the store.

"Soooo, how's the living situation going with Natsu?" Levy asked, glancing at Lucy while she looked through the dresses on the rack.

"Surprisingly well actually. He's a lot more mature than the old Natsu, that's for sure. And he can actually cook now which is super nice." Lucy answered, grabbing a red dress from the wall.

"Wow, I mean he and Gajeel went on a few joint missions, but they fight like brothers so I haven't really seen that side of him"

"Also, spill! I heard from a covert source that you and Gajeel moved in together!" Lucy giggled, giving Levy a sly look.

"How did you find that out? I hadn't even told Makarov about the address change?"

"Duh, Juvia told me"

"Okay, but it's literally impossible to keep anything from her, when she turns those puppy eyes at me I can't say no!" Levy pleased. "I promise I was going to tell you!" She continued.

Lucy laughed. "I knew you would! But I like to surprise you so it worked out" Levy groaned, and bumped her shoulder into Lucy's.

"But seriously, it's been so long since we actually talked and hung out. How's my girl?"

At this, Lucy bit her lip and looked down at her feet. "I'm doing better. A few days ago, not so much, but Natsu's been staying over and it helps a lot. It was weird at first, but I think we both worked out our problems and now it's like old times, and surprisingly, he's not as difficult to live with as he used to be!" Smiling, Levy shifted the dresses in her arms to grab Lucy's hand.

"I'm glad it's working out, given your history with him, but if you ever need some girl talk, i'm always free" Levy said firmly. Lucy smiled back, and squeezed her friend's hand.

"Of course! Now let's go try on these dresses!" Lucy cheered, pulling Levy towards the fitting rooms, where she could already hear Erza's demanding voice coming from.

"I think this is the one" Lucy said, stepping out of her dressing room, to where her friends were sitting, waiting to see Lucy's choices. Lucy stopped, and held her arms out, and did a slow spin for her friends.

While she had liked the dresses she had tried on previously, the minute she tried this one on, she knew it was the one. It was bright red, and hugged her curves. There was a slit in the fabric, that exposed one leg, and it was backless. The front was low cut, but not enough to be sleazy.

"Oh Lucy! You look lovely" Was Juvia's response, as she held her hand over her mouth with a gasp. Levy also agreed. "You look so hot, this is the perfect dress" She chimed in, with a devilish smile on her face. Lucy smiled, and looked at Erza, who was eyeing her dress critically, rubbing her thumb over her bottom lip.

"I like the choice, it is the perfect look for a bachelorette party, sexy, yet sophisticated. You must get this dress Lucy" She finally said, standing up to clap Lucy on the shoulder.

"Girls. I think we are set! Let's go get some food and then prepare for tonight!" She cheered, pulling Juvia and Levy up to pull everyone into a group hug. As soon as Lucy changed back into her regular clothes, the girls went to buy their dresses. Taking this slow moment, Lucy pulled out her phone, and unlocked it. Smiling to herself, she found a few texts from Natsu.

These new recruits are babies. They nearly fainted during the warmup.

Giggling, Lucy opened the video he sent with the text- showing a group of kids freshly out of high school attempting to run through an obstacle course, which Lucy recognized as one of Gildart's old training courses.

How's the shopping? I hope you didn't buy out the entire store

Shaking her head, Lucy typed back an answer.

It's going really well, we all found dresses and yes the store is still standing you weirdo. Have fun with the new recruits ;p

With that, Lucy locked her phone again and slid it back into her pocket, and slid her arm through Levy's as they all walked out to Erza's car to drop off their dresses, and walk the few blocks to 7island, Juvia's favorite restaurant.

"God it's been so long since we had a girls night!" Lucy exclaimed, turning to face her friends where they were all seated getting ready in Juvia's living room. Lucy held a curler in her hands, and wound a piece of her hair around it.

"Right! Do you remember that one time we all went out when we were at the Academy, and Juvia threw up in Makarov's office after we broke in on a dare from the guys" Levy said, laughing.

"No! Don't remind me please! I swear that Makarov thinks of that every time he looks at me!" Juvia cried, putting down her lipstick.

"Come on, at least you didn't fall over in the middle of the sidewalk like Lucy! We had to call Natsu to come and carry her back. Except she had to pee halfway back to the dorms and when Natsu set her down to pee in the woods, she fell down and rolled into the river at the bottom." Erza chimed in.

"Come one guys, that was my first time ever being drunk! Give me a break!" Lucy cried. It had been the night of her 21st birthday, and since she was the last of her friends to turn 21, it was a big party and she ended up drinking way too much. Poor Natsu spent most of the night helping her puke, something he still reminds her of to this day.

"Do not worry. I will be vigilant tonight.I will take care of you all" Erza stated, getting up, and helping Juvia curl a few pieces of hair she missed in the back of her head.

"Thanks Erza, but make sure to have some fun too please" Juvia's soft voice said from behind Erza.

"Of course, Via. But this night is all about you! You are the first of us to get married! You know, I always thought it would be Lucy and Natsu" Erza answered.

"Me too! Remember that bet we had?" Levy laughed.

"What!? What bet?" Lucy gasped.

"Oh, nothing. We just had a bet on how long it would take you and Natsu to get together. Though the little pink haired turd ruined it when he decided to date Lisanna" Levy dismissed, waving her hand.

"You guys! What-" Lucy sputtered, cheeks turning red.

"Come on. You guys practically lived together. Natsu basically lived in your room during our time at the Academy." Levy cajoled.

"Oh my gosh" Lucy cried.

"But hey, aren't you guys staying together again? How's that going?" Levy sang, winking at Lucy.

"Yeah, but it's nothing like that! Makarov ordered us to work together, believe me it wasn't all peachy in the beginning. We are just starting to get back to normal now" Lucy said.

"You guys looked real close the other day in the park" Juvia chimed in, a light lilt to her voice.

Erza, Levy, and Juvia all shared a smug smile, their eyes sparkling.

"No! Do not give that look!" Lucy ordered, pointing her curling iron at the other girls. "Let's just focus on Juvia- it's her night, remember!" She continued.

"Fine, fine, whatever you say Lucy" Levy said. Lucy bit her lip and turned back to look at her reflection in the mirror. Fluffing her hair, Lucy spritzed some hair spray, so her curls would stay in place all night. Her eyes were accentuated by dark eyeshadow and eyeliner, and her lips matched the bright red of her dress.

Levy looked flawless, with her contrasting blue hair and silky orange dress, which she somehow pulled off. Erza cut an imposing yet beautiful figure in a purple halter dress with thigh high boots. Lastly, Juvia was in her usual blue, her hair fell in soft curls around her face, and her blue dress fell in ruffled around her thighs.

"What's Gray up too tonight?" Lucy asked, slipping on her heels and coming to stand by the rest of her entourage.

"He's with Natsu and Gajeel, they are having their guy time, and waiting to pick us up" Juvia answered.

"So they are playing video games and fighting" Levy answered.

"Most likely" Juvia laughed. "Now, let's go party!" She cheered, putting on a sash that read "Bride to be" and a plastic crown that they had bought earlier in the day. Outside waited a cab, that would take them to the club downtown.

"Before we go, let's take one for the road" Erza said, and brought a bottle of alcohol, and poured it into 4 shot glasses. Giggling, the girls gathered around, and on the count of three Lucy, and the rest took the glass and drank the contents. Squealing, the girl's, arm in arm, made their way out the door and piled into the cab.

"Take that Flamebrain!"

"No! What the hell!"

Groaning, Natsu slumped backwards, as Gray cheered. The TV screen announcing Natsu's defeat. Gajeel barked out a laugh, slapping his knees.

"Wooow, you suck Salamander" He laughed.

"I'd like to see you do better, metalhead" Natsu growled, chucking the video game remote at his head.

"Ow!" He yelled, lunging at Natsu, and putting him in a headlock.

"The girls just left to go to the club" Gray interrupted. Huffing, Gajeel let go of Natsu, and with a growl, Natsu pushed him off.

"Did Juvia say where they were headed? Lucy didn't say" Natsu asked.

"To that new one that opened downtown, Club Magnolia" Gray answered. His phone dinged again, and Gray held it up to the two other guys.

On the screen was a picture of the four girls on front of the club, arms around each other and laughing. When Natsu's gaze fell on a certain blonde, his heart stopped.

"Ooooh Salamander, I know that look" Gajeel chuckled. "Dude, you've got it bad" Turning on him, Natsu lunged, but Gray grabbed his arm.

"Look, I was planning on crashing anyways, so you can get your chance with your girl" Gray said, letting go of Natsu, and leaning back, crossing his arms.

"She's not my girl" Natsu denied.

"Come on, you used to have the biggest crush on her, you can't deny that you still have feelings for her" Gray responded.

"Yeah, but it's too soon. I mean her father just died, and we only started talking again a few weeks ago" Natsu muttered, his cheeks turning red.

"Natsu, since when have you been cautious?" Gajeel said, suddenly serious. "You like her, and it's obvious that she likes you, just go for it"

"I know I know, it's just that I finally got her back, I don't want to risk that" Natsu said firmly, running his hands through his hair, causing it to stand on end.

"Well, no matter what you decide to do, you ARE coming to the club with us. You don't want to leave Lucy alone in a club looking like that" Gray said, getting up. Natsu looked up in alarm.

"Oh no. You don't think-" He started, fists clenched.

"Cool it pyro, let's get ready, you'll be with your girl soon enough" Gray interrupted, pulling Natsu up from the ground.

"Ugh!" Lucy groaned, setting down another shot glass, and stumbled into Juvia who was beside her. "Oh sorry!" She yelled, over the loud music that was pounding around them. Juvia giggled and slurred "Ohhh it's all good Lushe! Oooh! I know! Let's go dance!"

"Yes!" Lucy laughed, and arm in arm, her and Juvia wound their way to the dance floor, where Erza and Levy were.

The lights made her dizzy, and Lucy knew she was definitely drunk. As a new song started, Lucy threw her hands in the air. Feeling a hand on her waist, she looked over, to where a man was, dancing beside her. Giggling, she threw her arms around his neck.

"What's your name, beautiful?" He asked. Lucy looked him up and down. He was blonde, and muscular, wearing jeans and a black dress shirt.

"Lucy, what's yours?" She asked.

"Lucy, the name suits you. I'm Loke. What's a lovely lady like yourself doing in a place like this?" He asked, his arms going tight around her, pulling her close to his body.

"A Bachelorette party" Lucy laughed, tripping a little, but Loke's arms held her upright.

"Oh, are you the lucky bride?" Loke asked, stopping his dancing for a second, unlatching his arms.

"Oh. no, noo! My friend is getting married!" Lucy said, resting a hand on his arm.

"Phew! Don't scare me like that" Loke laughed. "So, can I buy you a drink?" He asked. Nodding, Lucy smiled, and stumbled to the bar beside him.

"A shot for the pretty lady, and whatever drink she wants" Loke said to the bartender, leaning over the counter.

"Oh no, I don't need another shot" Lucy laughed.

"Nonsense, it's part of the fun, doll" Loke purred, sliding the glass into Lucy's hand. Laughing, Lucy downed it, with a cough, and took a sip of the other drink the bartender gave her.

The liquid burned as it went down her throat, so Lucy drank more of the drink in her hand.

"Want to go dance?" Loke asked, after she finished most of her drink.

Before Lucy could answer though, another voice cut in.

"Sorry, but i'm borrowing her from you"

Looking over, Lucy gasped. Standing beside her was Natsu, in dark jeans and and a white and blue striped dress shirt.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried, and threw her arms around his neck. Laughing, Natsu's arms wound around her, steadying her as she stumbled, giggling.

"What are you doing here?" Lucy asked, pulling away, but keeping a hand on his chest.

"You know Gray, he just couldn't stay away from Juvia" Natsu said. "Also, you look stunning" He whispered, leaning down to speak into her ear.

Blushing, Lucy smiled up at him, and leaned up to kiss his cheek.

"Let's go dance" Lucy slurred, dragging Natsu along behind her, trying her hardest not to trip over her heels. Keeping a hand on her waist, Natsu helped her along, until they reached the dance floor. Seeing her in person was even more breathtaking, and Natsu had to remind himself to breathe.

Lucy wound her arms around his neck, and he put his hands on her bare back, and pulled her close.

"Nashu, I think i'm drunk" Lucy giggled, stumbling, slipping in her heels.

"I can see that." Natsu laughed, steading her. "Do you want to head out?"

"Yeah, let's go home! Though I need to find the girls! Erza will freak if I leave without telling her" Lucy agreed.

"I think I saw her over by Gray and Juvia, leads head over there" Throwing his arm around her shoulders, he lead her over to the other side of the bar, where Erza was watching Juvia fawn over Gray, and Gray throwing warning looks to all the rest of the guys in the club.

"Lucy! I was wondering where you went" Erza called, as she and Natsu walked up. Erza pulled Lucy into a hug.

"Hey, we are going to head out, are you guys all good?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah, Gray's going to drop me off at home" Erza reassured.

"Thank you so much for coming Lucy! It was an amazing night" Juvia gushed, reaching forward to pull Lucy into a tight hug. Gray smiled, and kissed her cheek, then reached over to bump fists with Natsu.

"See you guys later" Natsu said and raised one hand in a wave, and rested the other on Lucy's back.

Leaning her head on his chest, Lucy let him guide her outside. The cool air helping her dizziness and cooling her off,the air refreshing after being in the cramped club for hours. Feeling Natsu press his lip to her forehead, she turned up to look at him, a smile spreading across her face.

"Did you have fun?" He asked. Lucy nodded.

"Tons of fun! Though i'm happy you came, that made it more fun"

"It is more fun when we are together" Natsu agreed, laughing.

Though, twenty minutes later, when Natsu finally got Lucy back in her apartment, he was seriously beginning to change his mind.

Drunk Lucy is and always was a handful. She made him carry her up the stairs, and how she wanted him to help her get her dress off.

Sighing, Natsu turned her around and helped her unzip her dress, and catching her when she tipped over, trying to pull it off.

"Sorry" She giggled, throwing the dress on the ground. Trying to keep his eyes on her face, Natsu did his best to guide her to her bed.

"Come on, let's get to bed" Natsu said, making her sit down on the bed.

"Come on Nashuuuu!" Lucy giggled, and pulled him down too. "You are so warm" She cooed, curling up against him, and nuzzling her face into his shoulder. Snorting, Natsu tried to pry her off, so he could go sleep on the couch, but Lucy started crying the minute he tried to get up.

"Fine. I'll stay!" He finally relented, sliding into the bed next to his drunken partner.

"Thank you" She giggled, and reached up and gave him a sloppy kiss on the lips.

"Goodnight Nashu" She mumbled, falling back onto her pillows.

"Goodnight Lucy" Natsu said, smiling, and pushing the hair out of her face, and pulling the covers over them both.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

The next morning, Lucy wasn't as energetic as she had been the night before.

"Ugh, why does the sun have to be so bright, I feel like my head is going to explode" Lucy groaned, shuffling out of the bedroom, hand pressed to her temple. She gingerly pulled out one of the stools at the counter and sat down, dropping her head onto the cool surface of the granite.

Laughing lightly, Natsu pushed a plate with two pieces of toast, a glass of water, and a bottle of ibuprofen towards her. Lifting her head, Lucy groaned in thanks, and took a bite of the toast. Thankfully she wasn't feeling too nauseous, but she had Natsu to thank for that. He rescued her from the bar before she had any more to drink.

"Thanks for picking me up last night, who knows what would have happened if I had stayed much longer" Lucy laughed, once she finished her toast and drank the water in front of her.

"We would have come sooner, but Gray didn't want to seem desperate" Natsu said, sitting down with his own breakfast in the chair right next to Lucy.

"Oh man, it must have killed him to let Juvia go to a club without him, I can only imagine" Lucy said, biting back a smile. Gray always tried to play it cool, but he was very protective over Juvia. He was always staring down the other guys who even tried to look at her.

"Both him and Gajeel were panicked. Especially after you guys sent that one picture of the four of you." Natsu said, his eyes twinkling.

"So what you are saying is that we looked hot" Lucy said slyly, raising an eyebrow.

At this, Natsu chuckled, running his hand through his hair, making it all spiky. At this, Lucy's pulse spiked. Her eyes met Natsu's, taking the next words out of her mouth. His cheeks were slightly pink, almost matching the color of his hair. Blinking, she realized she was staring, and cleared her throat, looking away.

"I seriously don't even want to look at myself right now, I'm probably such a mess" Lucy sighed, trying to change the topic. She pushed some of her hair out of her face, trying to comb through with her fingers.

"Nah, you still look great, you just look a tad bit hungover" Natsu laughed.

"More than a tad" Lucy groaned. "I didn't even make it into my pajamas I was so drunk,"

"Oh I know, I had to help you out of your dress, it was quite an adventure" Natsu said, his voice full of mirth.

Lucy groaned again, putting her head back on the counter. She remembered Natsu helping her stagger up the stairs. She also remembered how warm and strong he felt. All her feelings from before were slowly coming back to life, and now she couldn't look at Natsu without remembering his strong arms around her, or the feeling of her lips on his. She vaguely remembered giving Natsu a sloppy kiss goodnight. It definitely was not what she imagined her first kiss with him would be like.

He was so nonchalant. How could he not feel her inner turmoil? She felt her cheeks redden when she remembered how she curled up next to Natsu once he got into bed, drawn to his warmth. Before she fell asleep, she had felt him kiss her forehead and whisper goodnight, but she had been too drunk to respond. Even worse, she had fallen asleep in her underwear. It wasn't just any old underwear, but her lacy party underwear that she wore for special occasions.

She wanted to bring up the kiss. But she didn't know how. All Lucy knew was that she had finally gotten Natsu back into her life, and she really didn't want to mess that up.

Natsu had been ball of nerves all morning. Last night had been whirlwind. When he had seen Lucy, he was sure his stomach dropped right out of him and onto the floor. She was so gorgeous, her face glowing as she danced and laughed.

But when he had seen her with another man, he had to hold himself back from doing something he would regret.

And then Lucy had kissed him. Granted it was a tiny, sloppy drunk kiss. But it was still a kiss.

And man did he want another.

Now, Lucy was sitting in front of him, her hair and makeup mussed up. It took his breath away. Lucy usually always looked so put together, and this was the first time he got to really witness this side of Lucy.

"Why don't you get washed up? I'm sure that will help you feel better" Natsu suggested, standing up and grabbing his and Lucy's plate.

As he crossed the brilliantly white tiles, he glanced back to see Lucy finally lift her head up from the counter.

"Yeah, I need to get this makeup off of my face before I start breaking out" Lucy said, standing up and smoothing out her silk robe, which had become a little wrinkled from sitting.

"I'll clean up, you go ahead" Natsu said, waving his hand at her, and leaning over the sink to rinse the plates off.

"Thanks" He heard her say. When he stood up again, he watched her walk toward the bathroom. Taking a deep breath, he stood by the dishwasher trying to rid himself of his nervousness.

He was a Fairy Tail operative, something like this shouldn't scare him. Raking his hand through his hair again, he let out a long breath and walked to the couch. He might as well try to focus on something else while he could.

On the coffee table, Natsu had laid out all the files taken from Jude Heartfilia's office. He was hoping there was some lead concerning Zeref in the manila folders in front of him.

Half an hour later, that is where Lucy found him, bent over the folders and deep in thought.

She had taken a long, hot shower, washing off all the filth from the night before. Her hair had been a nightmare to comb, but now it hung around her face, damp, but untangled. Lucy had thrown on a pair of leggings and an oversized t-shirt, opting for comfort over cuteness today.

"What do you have here?" She asked, curling up next to Natsu, and peering over his shoulder at the folders in front of her.

Frowning, Natsu sat back up, and set one of the folders down.

"Files from your father's office" He said, eyes watching her features carefully.

Swallowing, Lucy nodded.

"Find anything useful?" She asked, reaching to pick up one of the folders.

"No, nothing yet. I hope there is some clue in here to lead up to Zeref. There_ has_ to be something" Natsu said, running his hand through his already messy hair, eyeing the stack of folders.

When he looked back at Lucy, he froze. Her face was inches from his, having leaned closer to pick up another folder.

He could feel her breath on his face. Swallowing, he licked his lips, seeing her eyes dart from his mouth back up to his eyes.

"Lucy…" He started, his face leaning closer to hers.

"Yes, Natsu?" He heard Lucy say, almost a whisper.

He reached out to rub a finger across her cheek and felt her press her face into his hand slightly.

"You kissed me last night" He said, eyes darting from her pink lips back up to her eyes. The air was thick between them, both hesitant to make a move and break the haze.

"I did." She said, raising a hand to cover his. "And i'm going to kiss you again" She breathed, leaning closer, so close that their foreheads were touching.

"Then kiss me" Natsu said, his voice rough. Their lips were barely brushing, when he felt Lucy finally push forward and press her lips firmly against his.

Natsu inhaled sharply, his hands moving to encase her face as she moved her lips against his.

As Natsu started to kiss her back, he felt her melt against him, her hands running up his chest to wrap around his neck. Her lips were soft under his, and he sighed, all the years of longing leaving his body.

He had waited so long for this moment.

When they finally broke apart, breathing heavily, Lucy bit her lip, her cheeks blushing a light pink. Natsu laughed, pressing his forehead against hers again, pulling her onto his lap fully.

"I've been waiting so long for that to happen" He said, pushing some of her wet hair away from her face and behind her ear.

Lucy laughed, burying her face into his chest.

"That is what I imagined our first kiss would be like, not that awful drunk kiss I gave you" She said into his chest.

"How about we forget about that kiss, and count this as our first one?" Natsu said, looking down at Lucy as she lifted her head back up, meeting her eyes and she grinned.

"Sound good to me" She giggled. "This one was much better anyways".

Natsu smiled at her, leaning his head down to capture her in another soft, languid kiss. As he felt Lucy's hands slide up his arms, he heard the unmistakable ring of his phone.

"Damn it" He groaned, pulling away from Lucy. Lucy just laughed, leaning back, so he could reach down and grab his phone from the coffee table.

"It's Gray" He said, sliding his thumb across the phone and bringing it to his ear. Lucy dropped her head down onto his shoulder, her lips still tingling from Natsu's kisses. She felt warm and happy and safe. Closing her eyes, she tried to engrain this moment firmly into her memory.

Natsu's arm wound more securely around her shoulders, and he hand began to trace up and down lightly as he joked with Gray.

Absentmindedly, Lucy reached down and grabbed one of the files. She flipped it open on her lap and paged through the documents inside. Inside, she found a list of his bank transactions, all his deposits, transfers, and payments from the last 10 years. With a jolt, she realized how much money her father had lost. His accounts were barely breaking even.

That must have been his motivation for working with Zeref and Phantom Lord. It's hard to keep up his type of lifestyle without having the funds.

Lucy traced the numbers on the paper, biting her lip. This might be the reason why her father had started being so harsh to her. He was always trying to set up advantageous marriages with other wealthy families. If she had agreed to marry one, her father would have been given access to her newfound wealth.

Lost in thought, Lucy didn't notice when Natsu hung up the phone.

"Gray called to tell me that the agents finished going through all the possible evidence in your father's house. He wanted me to tell you that they found his will locked in a safe behind that big picture of your mother in his office." He said, nudging Lucy's arm a little with his hand.

Blinking, it took Lucy a second to process what he had just said.

"Oh..they finally found his will?" She asked, setting the folder she held back onto the table in front of her.

"Yeah, Gray gave a copy of it to your family's lawyer, so whenever we want we can head over and go through it with him".

"Yeah, let me get dressed" Lucy said slowly, pulling away from Natsu. He nodded, letting his arm fall away from her.

Watching her go, Natsu sighed. While Lucy had been dealing with the loss of her father pretty well he didn't want her to close herself back off again, especially with all the research ahead of them.

An hour later, Lucy and Natsu found themselves in the office of Mr. Buchanan, the Heartfilia family's personal lawyer.

The office was lined with a plush red carpet, which was paired with sturdy mahogany furniture. In the middle of the room, sat a desk with two armchairs on one side, and Mr. Buchanan on the other.

"Ms. Heartfilia, it's so good to see you after so many years" The lawyer said brightly, leaping from his chair and running over to grasp Lucy's hand.

"Thank you, it's nice to see you as well" She replied. Turning to face Natsu, she gestured towards him. "Mr. Buchanan, this is Natsu Dragneel". Natsu greeted the man warmly, and soon they were swept into the plush chairs in front of the desk.

"Alright, why don't we get started, hm?" He suggested, pulling out a file from his desk.

Lucy felt her hands tremble, and she reached over the grasp at Natsu's. Without a look towards her, he wrapped his hand around hers and gave it a quick squeeze. Feeling a little more grounded, Lucy nodded at the lawyer.

"Okay, to start, the Heartfilia business was deeply in debt in afraid, so in order to pay off this debt, all the shares that would have been passed to you would need to be sold" Mr. Buchanan started, looking over the document.

"Yes, I figured as much. That's fine with me" Lucy said. She had been independent from her father for many years now, so she didn't need his money at this point.

"As for the house, that is left in your name, so you are now the sole owner of the Heartfilia Estate and all of it's amenities such as your father's cars and the staff who work there" The lawyer stated, his voice even and smooth.

Each part of the will was explained and detailed out, with Lucy confirming and making slight decisions as the list was read.

"Lastly, your father left behind a single safety deposit box in your name. It is in the Magnolia Bank. He left instructions that you should only open it if he had passed away."

Lucy looked at Natsu sharply, and he shook his head. This morning, he had glanced through all of Jude Heartfilia's accounts and holdings, but there had been no mention of a deposit box anywhere.

"And with that, we have concluded the last will and testament of Jude Heartfilia. Thank you Lucy, for coming in, and if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to give me a call" He said, once again shaking both Lucy and Natsu's hand.

"I want to go see what is in the box" Lucy said, once she had Natsu were out of the office, and walking back outside to the car.

"Are you sure, it could be risky. Especially with his involvement with Zeref" Natsu said, looking down at the blonde walking at his side.

"I know, but it could be a clue!" She said, looking back up at him.

Sighing, Natsu nodded. "Okay, but I want to be with you the entire time, just in case", he said, taking her hand gently.

Lucy smiled, "Of course, we are a team" She said lightly, squeezing his hand once.

Hand in hand, they made their way back to Natsu's car, and began to make the short drive to Magnolia Bank.

The bank in question was the biggest and grandest bank in all of Magnolia. It was all white and had a single, large dome with a glass chandelier that had enough pieces to blind someone if the light hit it right.

It was a showy bank for the rich and famous of Magnolia, and was one of the best guarded banks in the country. Thankfully Lucy wasn't trying to break into it. Sure, she could have, but it would have taken some effort on her part.

After talking to the secretary at the front desk, Lucy and Natsu were lead past a locked gate into a private room with just a marble platform in the middle. Once inside, another lady brought out the box and set it on the platform.

"Just press the buzzer when you are finished" The lady said, smoothing her skirt out before leaving and shutting the door.

"Alright, let's see what's in here" Lucy said, grabbing Natsu's hand once again.

Holding her breath, Lucy reached out a hand and undid the latches, and opened the lid.

The inside of the box was covered in red felt, but nestled softly in the middle was a single envelope and a golden key.

Confused, Lucy picked up the key and studied it.

It was heavy, but had a symbol engraved upon it. One she recognized as the zodiac symbol for Aquarius.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

_Dear Lucy,_

_If you are reading this note, then that means I am dead. I know that we did not get along in the past, but no matter what, I never stopped loving you. Wherever you are, I'm sure your mother would be proud of you. After her death, many things changes, and I am not proud of the choices I made, but I cannot change what has already been done. However, maybe you can fix what I have done and make things right. _

_After you were born, the Heartfilia business started to struggle, and I was running out of money, I was desperate to rebuild my fortune, so when I was approached by Phantom Lord I agreed to help them. However, this proved to be my downfall. Phantom Lord used my resources to develop a fearsome weapon. One that could destroy the entire world if put in the wrong hands. Your mother was a brilliant engineer, and headed the project, until she found out the true purpose of the project. She build a failsafe mechanism into the weapon, which is activated with the key that is now in your possession. Your mother did not die of natural causes, she was murdered by Phantom Lord when she tried to leave the project. _

_My dear daughter, I know I am asking much of you, but the fate of the world depends on you now. Maybe you will succeed where Layla and I failed. I wish I could have said this in person, but I need you to know that your mother and I loved you more than anything, and I miss you both every day. _

_With all my love,_

_Jude Heartfilia _

Lucy folded up the letter, and set it on the table next to the heavy golden key. Across from her and Natsu sat Makarov. Weary lines were carved into his face as he mulled over what he has just heard.

"Now we know what Phantom Lord has been up to. But what kind of weapon is being made" He mused, playing with his beard.

"What do we do Master? My father and mother died for this key, but we have no way to stop Phantom Lord, we don't even know where their headquarters are or where this weapon is!" Lucy asked.

Makarov sighed. "I do not know child. We do not have enough information to make a plan of action. If only your father could have told us more". Makarov sighed, and look up at Lucy, his eyes sharp and appraising.

"I hope you are all healed up Lucy, because you are going back on active duty. From here on out we need to gather as much information on Phantom Lord as possible. Chase any lead, contact all your informants. I want to know everything."

Lucy clenched her fists in her lap.

"I'm ready Makarov. I'm sick of Phantom Lord walking all over us, it's time to teach them not to mess with Fairy Tail" She said, her eyes hard.

Makarov nodded, and stood up.

"Good luck , and stay safe you two"

Lucy and Natsu watched as their master left the room, leaving them alone in the small conference room.

"I think it's time for a little reunion with our old team" Lucy said, turning to Natsu. Natsu's face split into his most devilish grin as he pulled out his phone.

"Thanks for coming everyone, it really means a lot"

Lucy looked over the people who were sitting in her living room. The wide room was covered in papers, folders, spread over the floor where her friends were bent over, trying to piece together any information.

"This is all that we found in my father's house. But this may not be enough information to figure out what Phantom Lord's plan is. Which is why we called all of you" Lucy said, as everyone looked up to meet her gaze.

Levy and Juvia were seated on the floor, with stacks of papers held in their hands. Gray, Gajeel, and Natsu were seated on her couch, and Erza was leaning against the windows, looking outside at the town below her apartment.

"What's the plan Lucy?" Gray asked, setting down the file he was holding. At this, Natsu stood up.

"This is going to be very dangerous, so before we get started, if any of you do not feel comfortable with this mission, please leave now" He said, his face serious.

"There's no way I can let you guys do this alone" Erza stated, turning from the window. "I'm in".

"We are in too" Juvia stated, "Juvia can't let Phantom Lord get away with what they did to me" With a small smile, she put her hand on Gray's, who nodded.

"Phantom Lord's going down" He said.

"Don't you dare think you guys are doing this without me. You need at least one rational person in the group" Levy piped up with a devious smile. Lucy laughed as Natsu glared at her small blue haired friend.

"Hmph. I guess I'm in too. Can't let you pipsqueaks get all the glory" Gajeel grunted, crossing his arms.

"Alright. This is the plan then. Levy, I want you and Gajeel to search online and see what you can find out. You guys are the top hackers in Fairy Tail so I'm sure you can find something. The rest of you, contact any informants you know and see what you can find out. If we can find out anything about this weapon or where their base is, maybe we can have a chance on figuring out how to take them down." Natsu said.

"Be careful and be discreet, if Phantom Lord catches on to what we are up too, who knows what will happen" Lucy warned, standing up and standing next to Natsu. Natsu looked down at the blonde by his side, and gave her a small smile. Lucy grinned back up at him.

"It's time to take down Phantom Lord for good".


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Lucy sat in a dark corner, slow jazz music playing overhead. With a hand curled around a glass, Lucy lounged, one leg over another, looking like she had no care in the world. The dim lights made the red velvet of the booth and the floors seem almost black, the shadows blending in with the black fabric of her dress. Glancing around, Lucy took in her surroundings. The jazz club was upscale, a place frequented by the rich and glamorous. But like any place, it had its secrets hidden in the shadows.

The owner of the club was a person she had met during the academy. While he was an excellent fighter and spy, his real skill lied in acquiring information. Though, that information came at a price. Lucy looked down to her side, where her purse lay, filled with the money needed to pay his fee.

Taking a sip, Lucy purses her lips, and sets the empty glass on the table in front of her.

"Another drink, ma'am?"

At the sound of the voice, Lucy looked up at the man who slid into the seat across from her, sliding a new drink across the table to where her hand rested.

"It's been awhile, Jellal" Lucy said.

Jellal smiled, and leaned back, crossing his arms. He flicked his blue hair out of his eyes.

"Any luck with what I asked you?"

"It took some digging, but I may have found something of use to you." Jellal said one side of his mouth quirking upward.

"I found out why nothing could be traced back to Jose and Phantom Lord, and that is because he doesn't run his business from a building, but from a boat. When he isn't on the boat, he utilizes his associates property, like that building you and Natsu found Juvia in."

"That explains why it was so easy for him to disappear each time we thought we were getting close on his tail" Lucy mused.

"There have also been whispers. Phantom Lord is spending big money, and who knows for what. Is this what you are looking into?"

Lucy nodded. "We aren't sure what Phantom is up too, but thank you for the information, maybe this can help us finally get a hand on Jose."

Gajeel leaned impatiently on the hood of his black Suburban, his arms crossed across his chest.

"Calm down, they will be here"

Looking down at the small blue haired woman at his side, he sighed.

"I just hate being kept waiting" He grunted.

"This is our chance to catch some of Phantom Lord's goons and figure what is going on"

He and Levy were waiting under an abandoned bridge on the outskirts of Magnolia, the black darkness chased away by the headlights of the car they stood in front of. Suddenly, two more pairs of headlights appeared around the corner, skidding to a stop in front of them.

From the cars, six men poured out.

"You got the money?" One called, who was carrying a briefcase.

"It's in the car" Levy said, motioning for Gajeel to grab it. "But first, I want to see the product".

"Of course, you will find that Phantom Lord only sells the best, and you can see for yourself". The man set the briefcase on the hood of the car, flanked by the other 5 men, who were carrying nasty looking guns. Clicking it open, the man opened the lid, revealing a bag of fine white powder.

Levy turned and nodded to Gajeel. They both turned and leaped at the men surrounding them.

Ducking under a beam, Juvia sprinted through the dark alleyway, her hair slipping from her bun to fall around her face, whipping around as she glanced behind her.

"She went that way! Get her!

Hearing the shout from behind her, Juvia sped up, willing her legs to move faster, gritting her teeth at the burning. She was still out of shape from her time in the hospital. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep up that pace for much longer, she just hoped she made it to the rendezvous in time. She didn't want to upset Gray, who was waiting outside.

This was supposed to be an easy "in and out" mission. Juvia had been to this warehouse before when she was undercover with Phantom Lord, and knew they kept records of their dealings in this place. Thankfully, Juvia was able to download all the files from the computer before being discovered, but here she was, running for her life.

"Juvia, where are you?" Gray's voice crackled in her comm unit.

Swearing, Juvia pressed her hand to her ear.

"I'm almost there but I have company" she gasped, turning the corner and seeing an emergency exit at the far end of the dim hallway.

At that same moment, a man stepped out in front of her, swinging his fist at her face. With only a moment's hesitation, Juvia slid towards the floor, her head just barely missing his fist as she fell to the ground. Twisting her legs, Juvia swept the man's feet from under his, and flung herself back onto her feet and took off towards the door.

Throwing her arms forward, Juvia threw herself into the door and out into the inky darkness. Juvia found herself standing in the middle of an abandoned dock, surrounded by empty storage buildings. She spun her head around, looking for Gray, when she saw a motorcycle come veering around the corner, towards her.

As the motorcycle flew by her, Juvia grabbed the outstretched hand and jumped on behind the man. Wrapping her arms around Gray, she turned back to see the Phantom Lord men tumble out of the building, shouting after her, growing quiet the farther her and Gray drove away.

"So, what did you bring me?"

Looking up from where they were seated on old wooden boxes, Gajeel and Levy smirked at the red haired woman who had just entered the abandoned warehouse they were currently hiding out in.

"Six Phantom Lord agents, all tied up and ready for you, Erza" Levy smiled, looking back towards Gajeel and continuing to wrap a bandage around his hand.

"I'll see what I can find out" Erza said, reaching up to gather her hair up into a ponytail. Reaching into her bag, she grabbed a small black case, and then strode into a door behind Levy and Gajeel.

"How did you come out of that without a single scratch, shrimp?" Gajeel grunted, as Levy tugged on the bandage one last time, securing it with a piece of tape around his wrist.

"Cause I'm better, obviously"

Gajeel snorted.

"Hey now!" Levy exclaimed, as she smacked Gajeel in the arm, "I don't spend all my time behind a computer screen contrary to popular belief".

"Ow! What was that for!" Gajeel yelped, pulling back from Levy.

"You know what that was for!" Levy said back, crossing her arms and smirking up at Gajeel's face. He sighed, and pushed his hair back from his face.

"Come one, shrimp, lets get outta here. You hungry?"

"You know what, I'm starving!" Levy answered, jumping of the box to stand in front Gajeel with her hands on her hips. A short laugh burst out of Gajeel's mouth, as he got up, grabbing the bags at his feet.

"Let's go, shrimp"

"Lucy! Hey, find out anything good from our friend?" Natsu asked, holding his phone up to his ear with a smile.

"Found out a little bit, but it's a start. Turns out the reason we can't find Phantom's base of operations is because it isn't a building. It's a boat!" Lucy shared, walking out from Jellal's to her car, the moon shining bright, illuminating the parking lot with a soft light.

"That would explain why we can't get a solid location, every time we got close, it would change. Now we know to stop looking on land, but in the water". Natsu exclaimed.

"Right. Let's all meet back at my place to figure out what everyone else has found out and make a plan. I'm almost to my car now, I'll see you when I get home" Lucy said, hanging up her phone, and putting it back into her purse and digging out her keys instead. As she held the keys up to unlock her car, a quick movement in the window caught her attention. But before she could react, something hard hit her head, and all Lucy saw was black, as she went down and hit the pavement.

**Wow, I had some serious writers block but I'm back at it! **

**Sonchia **


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Tapping his fingers on Lucy's kitchen counter, Natsu glanced at the clock, showing 10:45pm on the screen in bright blue numbers. Lucy had called him over an hour ago, but she still had not shown up, and when Natsu had called her, he was sent right to voicemail. He was sure everything was okay, but he wanted to make sure. Making up his mind, Natsu dialed a number on his phone, and held it up to his ear, his other hand scrubbing through his hair absentmindedly.

"Hey, Levy, sorry for bothering you, but Lucy called me over an hour ago to say she was coming home, but she still hasn't come home and she isn't answering her phone."

From the other end of the phone Natsu heard Levy's voice.

"Okay, give me a sec here, my computer is in my bag"

After a few seconds of listening to some rustling, and hearing a grumble from a voice that sounded suspiciously like Gajeel's, Levy spoke again.

"I was able to pin down the last location registered on Lucy's cell phone, looks like she's still in the parking lot of Jellal's place, and hasn't moved in over an hour"

"Great, thanks Levy, I'm heading over there now, I'll give you a call when I get there". Natsu said, hanging up as he quickly pulled on shoes and hurried out to his car, his mind racing with worry.

It just wasn't like Lucy to not call, and she rarely showed up late to anywhere. Natsu just hoped that he was overreacting, but years of service to Fairy Tail had always made him think about the worst case scenarios right off of the bat.

Pulling into the dark parking lot twenty minutes later, Natsu spotted Lucy's car at the far end of the lot, out of view from the lamp post that was dimly illuminating the dark lot.

Natsu jerked the car into park and swung out, but stopped short when he saw Lucy's purse laying abandoned on the pavement, her phone sticking out, cracked and broken.

Crouching down by the abandoned bag, Natsu called Levy again with shaking fingers.

"Did you find her?" He heard the blue haired woman say on the other end of the line.

"No. Call in the troops because I think somebody kidnapped Lucy. Her purse is laying here and her phone is destroyed, she didn't even make it to her car" Natsu said, panic starting to rise, his breaths starting to come faster, and his heart was pounding out of his chest.

"Does Jellal know what happened?"

"I'll go ask, and see if he caught anything on the security cameras"

Another hour later, and Natsu found himself back in Lucy's apartment, surrounded by the team once again. Levy and Gajeel had rushed over soon after his last call, Erza had left the Phantom goons at headquarters to wait for further questioning, Gray and Juvia had just arrived, Juvia giving Natsu a gigantic hug after seeing the worried look on his face. Lastly, Jellal had come back with Natsu, and was standing in the corner looking outside at the late night bustle of Magnolia.

"Any news?" Gray asked, coming over the the living room where everyone had congregated.

At this, Jellal turned to look at the rest of the group.

"I have camera footage. Looks like they were waiting for Lucy when she left my place and caught her by surprise."

Natsu turned the laptop in front of him around, and hit a button, causing the grainy security footage to play, showing three men jump on Lucy and drag her into a van. Rubbing his bottom lip with his thumb, he hit the keypad again, pausing the video after the van had taken off into the inky darkness.

"Has to be Phantom. Look at the insignia on the van. It's Jose's." Levy said, rewinding the video to take a closer look.

"Levy can you follow the security cameras around town and try to figure out which way the van went?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah, it won't be quick though, there are thousands of cameras in Magnolia" Levy answered, pulling out a laptop from a bag at her feet.

"I'll give you a hand, shrimp, the two of us working together can narrow down the van's path faster" Gajeel stated, as Levy nodded and handed him a second laptop from her bag.

"How many laptops do you carry with you, Levy?" Gray asked. At this, Levy glared at him, causing Gray to lift his hands up, and turn instead to talk to Erza.

"Were you able to find anything out from the Phantom goons that Levy and metal head over here took down?"

"No. I'll give it to Jose. His goons wouldn't say a single word. I'm letting Makarov do his thing, maybe he will have more luck that I did" Erza scowled.

"Erza Scarlet wasn't able to make a man talk? That's a first" Jellas said, raising his eyes at Erza appraisingly.

"Excuse me. But who's parking lot did Lucy get kidnapped from?" Erza snapped back, with a glare.

"Guys, fighting isn't going to help us. Let's just find Lucy damn it!" Natsu yelled, slamming his hands on the counter.

"Natsu-" Levy started.

"No. Sorry guys. I'm just worried. You guys know what Phantom is capable of, look what happened to Juvia" Natsu sighed, taking a deep breath, and moving to sit down, putting his head in his hands. Gray grabbed one of Juvia's hands, and shared a look with her and giving her hand a quick squeeze.

"We'll find her Natsu." Levy said. "And we are going to make Phantom pay."

The first thing Lucy became aware of was that she was cold. And she had a headache.

With a groan, Lucy opened her eyes and tried to sit up. A wave of nausea hit, and Lucy lowered her head back to the cold floor beneath her, biting her lip to keep back the bile. Once the nausea had gone away, Lucy opened her eyes once again, and took a look at her surroundings.

She was in a tiny room, chained with her hands behind her back to the wall. From beneath her, she felt a lurch.

She was on a ship.

"Damn it." Lucy swore, giving an experimental tug on the chains to no avail. The jangling of the chains amplified by the small space around her.

"That will get you nowhere little girl" A voice from in front of her said, causing her lip to curl.

"Jose Perla, I should have guessed" Lucy spat, looking up at the man in front of her.

"I thought I sent Fairy Tale enough of a lesson after I found that one agent out, what was her name, Juvia? Yes." Jose said, reaching down to push Lucy's hair away from her face. "I also figured that the murder of your dear old Father would have swayed you off the path as well, but I guess that wasn't enough of a message, was it?"

Jerking her face away from his touch, Lucy bared her teeth at Jose.

"You can't hide from Fairy Tail. We are going to end you" Lucy snarled.

Jose laughed, and turned to leave.

"You say that now, but after I'm through with you, you won't be a problem anymore"

With a yell, Lucy yanked on the chains, trying to get at Jose, but it did no good. Slumping to the ground, Lucy tried to tug her hands out of the shackles frantically, letting out a gasp of pain a the effort.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The last thing Lucy needed to do was start to panic. She felt her hands shaking, her breath coming fast. Squeezing her eyes shut, Lucy forcefully made herself remember what she had learned at the academy about what to do when finding oneself in an unsavory situation such as the one she was in currently.

_The first thing a Fairy Tale operative should do when finding themselves in an unfamiliar environment is to first observe the environment. _

"Check" Lucy whispered, having already seen all she could see of the tiny room she was being kept in. With no window, and just a swinging bare lightbulb from the ceiling, there was nothing else to see but the chains that attached her to the floor.

_After assessing one's surroundings, make a list of all possessions on one's person. _

Lucy didn't have her purse with her, so her gun was not in her possession. She reached to her thigh, and swore. They had taken her knife from her thigh holster. She was still in her evening dress she wore to Jellals, but they had taken her heels off, leaving her feet bare. Blowing a tendril of hair out of her eyes, Lucy smirked.

They hadn't taken the pins out of her hair.

Natsu lay with his head on his arms, he swore he had only wanted to close his eyes for a few minutes, but now the harsh morning light was glaring into his eyelids, making him groan and lift his head up.

"Morning sleepyhead"

Natsu blinked, and looked to see Erza hand him a cup of coffee.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep, sorry" Natsu said, rubbing his eyes and taking the coffee gratefully.

Over in the living room, Juvia and Gray were passed out on the couch, Juvia's head resting on Gray's shoulder. Jellal was talking quietly on the phone in the corner, while Levy and Gajeel sat hunched over computers,

"How's it going guys?" Natsu asks.

"We are getting close, I've never had to follow a vehicle this far, but thankfully Magnolia has cameras everywhere" Levy said, not looking up from her screen.

"Wait, I think I've got it!" Levy gasped, sitting up straight. "Jose's yacht is at the marina over on the north side of Magnolia!

Startled by Levy's outburst, both Gray and Juvia groaned and looked over at the blue haired woman with bleary eyes.

"Come on guys. Let's go get her" Natsu said, already scooping up the keys to his car and heading to the door.

The easy part had been breaking out of the chains that had been used to restrain her. Getting out of the room was going to be slightly harder, but she had a plan. Crouching beside the door,

Lucy yelled.

"Hey! Whoever's out there, I have to go to the bathroom"

She heard a groan, and the sound of a key being shoved into the door. As the door swung open, she popped up and smashed the guy in the back of the head. Without a sound, he fell to the ground, unconscious. Lucy grabbed his arms and dragged him inside, locking him up in the chains she had just been in. Rummaging through his pockets, Lucy grabbed the keys, his keycard, and his gun.

After kicking off her heels, Lucy ran barefooted down the hallway, silent and watchful. Up ahead she heard a few voices approaching. Spotting a janitorial closet to the right, she darted inside, waiting until the voices passed and disappeared down the hallway. Towards her jail cell. She needed to hurry, they would notice the missing guard and in turn notice that she was missing any minute now.

Throwing the closet door open, Lucy abandoned stealth and ran through the maze of halls, until finally she found a door that lead to the deck. Once she stepped through the door, she was greeted with a strong gust of wind, which blew her dress and hair in crazy directions.

"And where do you think you are going young lady" A voice said from behind her.

Whirling around, Lucy found Jose standing in the doorway she had just came through.

"I'm getting out of here" she said, with a forced smirk.

"I wouldn't advise it, you see we just left the port. You have nowhere to go except the water" Jose laughed, walking closer to her. Lucy's eyes quickly darted side to side, only seeing the open sea, Magnolia's port a ways away from the deck of tte yacht. As Jose approached, she inched backward, until her back bumped against the railing.

"Lucy! I'm coming for you!"

With a tiny smile, Lucy swore she heard the voice of her partner in the air, solidifying her decision.

"Bye Jose" Lucy smiled, and threw herself over the edge of the giant yacht, hearing Jose's yell behind her. Squeezing her eyes shut, Lucy braced for impact with the water. With a gigantic splash, Lucy hit the water, suddenly becoming disoriented as the force of the yacht in the water threw her away under the water. Upon impact, the water had knocked the air out of her, and Lucy was unable to move, as her body sunk deeper and deeper, the light above her rippling with the water.

Her lungs screamed and her vision faded.

_Natsu_

His face flashed in front of her eyes, his pink hair billowing around in the water. Suddenly, she felt arms wrap around her waist and pull her close, legs kicking both of them up to the surface. Finally, their heads had broken the surface. More arms reached down and hauled her up and into a boat.

"Lucy!" She heard someone yell as someone thumped her back. With a cough, Lucy found herself coughing up the water from her lungs. Warm arms wrapped around her until she finally caught her breath, her vision jumping back into focus. She became aware that she was shivering and crying, the tears mixing with the salt water on her face.

"Oh God. Lucy" She heard Natsu say, who wrapped her up in his arms tightly. He was shivering as well.

"Here, get yourselves wrapped up, the wind is cold"

Lucy glanced up at Gray, who had brought over a stack of heavy towels. Behind him, Erza was driving the ship. Levy and Gajeel were close by, and Juvia was helping Natsu wrap Lucy up with multiple towels, trying to protect her from the wind.

"Are you okay, did they hurt you?" Natsu asked, smoothing her hair away from her face. Lucy met his eyes and shook her head.

"No. I'm okay" She said, voice hoarse and cracking. WIth a sigh of relief, Natsu pressed a hard kiss to her forehead. After pulling away he rested his forehead against hers.

"Don't scare me like that again" He whispered.

"I'm sorry, they caught me by surprise" Lucy whispered back with a small laugh.

For the rest of the ride back to shore, Lucy closed her eyes, trying to absorb the heat from Natsu into her frozen limbs. As the boat was pulled in and tied to the dock, Lucy tried to stand, but her legs wobbled and gave out. From beside her, Natsu caught her and lifted her up into his arms.

"I gotcha, Luce" He said, hopping down from the boat and into a warm van. Jellal was seated in the driver's seat. Natsu set Lucy down in the back and slid in beside her, making room for the rest of the group to jump in.

"Some of the new recruits are going to load up the boat, let's get out of here" Levy said, slamming the door shut.

In the front, Jellal nodded and sped off. Erza was on the phone with Makarov, and Gajeel and Levy had their laptops open, having attached a tracker to the yacht and were tracking its location. Feeling safe at last, Lucy allowed herself to close her eyes and lean into Natsu's chest, feeling his arm wrap around her shoulder and his lips press softly against the crown of her head.

After an examination by the Fairy Tail doctor and a long debriefing with Makarov, Lucy finally found herself back at her apartment. She was able to thank everyone after her debriefing. Juvia had tackled her in a hug, pulling away to let Gray kiss her cheek. Erza had clapped a strong hand onto her shoulder and left with Jellal to follow up on a few more leads. After giving Lucy one last hug, Levy and Gajeel headed out as well, looking exhausted.

Natsu had shooed her into the shower as soon as she had gotten back. Feeling dead on her feet, Lucy stood under the warm water, letting it chase away the chill in her bones that hadn't gone away since she had jumped into the water. After she stepped out, she found that Natsu had set out a pair of fluffy pink pajamas and her robe. With a wan smile, she got dressed and walked out to the living room where Natsu was waiting on the couch, petting Plue absentmindedly.

"Hey, feeling better?" Natsu asked, throwing an arm around Lucy's shoulders as she curled up next to him.

Nodding, Lucy replied.

"The shower helped, I don't feel as chilled to the bone as I did earlier"

"Here, let me comb your hair, I know how much you hate combing wet hair" Natsu said, reaching behind her to grab her hairbrush from the table. Lucy turned around and let him run the brush through her hair gently. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Lucy finally spoke.

"Thank you for coming after me" She said, looking down at her hands.

Natsu's hands stilled, a hand on her back nudging her so she would turn back around.

"Always. I'll always come save you" He said, voice firm and eyes sincere as they met hers.

Feeling warmth spread through her chest at his gaze, Lucy tilted her head up and reached up to pull his head down to hers, their lips meeting in a slow kiss. Shifting, Natsu threaded one hand with hers and placed another hand on the back of her neck, pulling her closer as he kissed her back.

For long minutes, their lips moved against each other, both trying to show appreciation and relief with each kiss.

With one final quick peck of Lucy's lips, Natsu pulled away and pushed Lucy's hair away from her face and tucked it behind one ear.

"God I love you" He said, his eyes never leading Lucy's.

Lucy started, but felt her face split into a huge grin. She squeezed his hand tightly. She had imagined him saying these words for years. She had never stopped loving Natsu, and these past few weeks her feelings had only grown stronger.

"I love you too you dork"

With a snort, Natsu pulled Lucy close once more, their noses bumping. When they kissed again, Lucy found that she was no longer cold.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Late the next morning, Lucy had convinced Natsu to head to the Fairy Tail gym to get a workout in and have a sparring match. She needed a way to get rid of all the nerves and pent up anger and energy she had after her experience with Jose. Lucy also knew that she hadn't seen the last of him. She needed to be at the top of her game, and sadly, her performance hadn't been top notch lately.

After a few miles on the treadmill, Lucy hopped off and grabbed her water bottle. To her left, she could see Natsu and Gray lifting together, and from their tone of voice, she bet that they were having a competition on who could lift the most. With a smile on her face, Lucy turned away and headed over to a different corner, equipped with punching bags, dummies, and various weapons. After pausing to stretch her muscles, she began to attack one of the dummies.

It felt good to go through the motions. She unleashed a right hook, followed by a roundhouse kick, and then a throat punch. With each strike, she imagined that it was Jose that she was attacking, not a dummy. She was so in the zone that she didn't notice the boom until the sirens started wailing.

_CODE RED. CODE RED. CODE RED. _

The sirens wailed, with a bright red light flashing along the ceiling.

"Damn it!" Lucy muttered, turning to find both Gray and Natsu already by her side, running to the windows to see what was happening.

Lucy felt her stomach drop. Jose's yacht was in the harbor, a gigantic cannon was pointed right at Fairy Tail, still smoking from the shot it had sent right into the side of the building. From the third floor, Lucy could see the Phantom Lord agents hopping from the yacht and approaching. From above, she could hear a helicopter, no doubt dropping more agents.

"We need to stop that cannon, before it fires again" Lucy said, as they turned and ran from the gym.

"Natsu and I will handle that, Lucy, find Juvia, she's in her office" Gray ordered.

"Okay. See you guys soon" Lucy said firmly, pausing in the hallway to quickly press her lips to Natsu's.

With his hand firmly locked in hers, he looked at her hard. "Lucy, stay safe" He said, and before Lucy could reply, he had let go of her hand and took off down the hallway behind Gray. With a deep breath, Lucy turned and ran the other direction, in search of Juvia.

Busting into the agent bullpen, Lucy searched the room, crowded with agents yelling and grabbing weapons, Lucy saw Juvia,

"Juvia!" Lucy yelled.

"Juvia found weapons" Replied the blue haired woman, tossing Lucy a rifle and a small black box. With a silent nod, Lucy swung the rifle onto her back and pressed a button on the box, making it extend out into a long stick.

"There are enemy agents entering from doors 26 and 92. We need to eliminate them and make sure they don't make it to the archives. Squads 1-4, take door 26, squads 5-8 take the other door. The rest of you, guard the archives."

Erza had jumped on top of the desks, issuing orders to the agents below. While the various squads ran to their assigned tasks, Juvia and Lucy met up with Erza to head to the archive room.

"I knew they were going to act again, but I never guessed this soon and I never thought they would be bold enough to attack our headquarters" Lucy said, as the three girls ran down the hallway.

"Let's make them regret ever laying a hand on our agents" Erza growled, coming to a stop in front of the archive doors.

A noise behind them cause all three girls to whirl around. At the other side of the hall, a group of Phantom Operatives appeared, clad in black gear, with large guns strapped to their backs. Without a second thought, Lucy swung the rifle around from her back and shot it into the ceiling above the group, causing an eruption of ceiling tiles, which rained down, causing the operatives to yell and cover their eyes. While the men were momentarily blinded, the girls lunged forward. Lucy used her momentum to jump off the wall and kick the first man in the face, and pushing off him to swing her staff and knock the other men close by in the faces, knocking them unconscious. Juvia had used her gun to take out a few with her paralysing bullets, while Erza jumped over the bodies on the ground to take care of the last few stragglers before they could run.

Breathing hard, Lucy looked up from their work as she heard Juvia gasp. Appearing from around the corner was a tall man, wearing a monocle. .

"How sad, I see that you are still alive, Juvia" The man drawled.

"Who is that?" Erza asked, jumping back to stand by Juvia.

"That is Sol, we worked together while I was undercover in Phantom Lord. I fear he is one of their strongest fighters under Jose himself" Juvia said softly, hands tightening of her gun as she leveled it at Aria.

From behind them, Lucy heard the shrieks and thuds of more fighting.

"Erza, they are getting closer to the archives"Lucy warned.

"Go, Juvia can handle him. Juvia has seen him fight so that gives me Juvia an upper hand" Juvia said, putting her gun into a holster on her side and reaching down to grab a staff from one of the unconscious Phantom Lord members on the ground.

"Juvia-" Erza started, but stopped as a wall exploded behind them, with more gang members piling through, one throwing an unconscious Fairy Tail member onto the ground before stepping through.

"There are the archive doors. Behind it is Lumen Histoire" The man said, after he kicked the body out of his way.

Gritting her teeth, Erza shouted "Don't you dare lose Juvia!" and turned back to face the men piling through the hole in the wall, standing shoulder to shoulder with Lucy.

"Remember our final exam junior year?" Lucy asked.

"I like the way you think" Erza says, holding her staff in front of her.

"_Here's the deal kids. Sometimes you will find yourself in a situation where you are extremely outnumbered. This is where having a partner can make all the difference. So for this exam I will be pairing you up with another student and you will have to fight off a team of select students from the freshman, sophomore, and senior class. You will have to work together to pass this test" Gildarts said, looking at the group of students in front of him. _

Lucy smiled at the memory. Lucy and Erza had been given 5 minutes to come up with a strategy. It had been a simple one really. Erza had launched Lucy at the group in the front, and the men, unable to dodge, were all taken out by Lucy's staff. During the distraction, Erza would take out the rest. Needless to say the inspiration came from some superhero movie they both had watched the weekend before.

With a yell, Lucy lept in the air, letting Erza launch her towards the enemies in the front. However, the large man who had been in front just slammed his arm into Lucy's body and threw her against the opposite wall.

"Lucy!" Erza yelled, knocking a man in the head with her staff while kicking one beside her at the same time. Coughing, Lucy groaned as the man grabbed her and dragged her behind him.

"You are coming with me. We need a fairy's blood to access Lumen Histoire." The man said. Lucy struggled as he dragged her into the archives.

"Why" Lucy asked, struggling against his hold. "What's so important about this Lumen Histoire?".

The man laughed, stopping in front of a bookshelf in the back of the room, and searched until he could found a book titled "The History of Fairy Tail".

"Now this was too easy" He laughed, and pulled the book out and threw it on the floor. Lucy heard a click, and the bookcase swung open with a small creak. He reached down and hauled Lucy to her feet, dragging her down by the back of her neck. Behind the bookcase was a dusty staircase, and at the bottom a stainless steel door, with a single panel on the right side. There was no door handle. The man holding her slipped a knife out of his side and sliced Lucy's hand.

"No!" Lucy yelled, kicking her feet out at the man. Her foot connected between his legs and with a shout he loosened his hold enough for Lucy to spring back. But she was too late, he had already thrust his knife under the panel, and watched as a drop of her blood dropped into the small container at the bottom. With a click, the door opened, washing the small staircase with a bright, blinding white light.

"You are too late little fairy" The man laughed, backing into the light. Lucy grit her teeth and lunged after him.


End file.
